Sunderland ‘to break transfer record again’ with Akturkoglu deal now on cards
Sunderland are certainly not hiding their intention to strengthen their forward line this summer.
Chemsdine Talbi is on the verge of signing for the Black Cats, with a total deal for the Club Brugge winger potentially reaching £18.9million.
Sunderland have also had a bid for Armand Lauriente rejected, with Regis Le Bris evidently feeling his squad needs more firepower for the Premier League.
Now Kerem Akturkoglu has also emerged as another target for Sunderland; however, they would have to fend off competition from other Premier League clubs to sign the Turkish winger from Benfica.
Sunderland to break record again for Akturkoglu
Along with their frontline, the Wearsiders’ defence could also be set for investment, with West Ham’s Nayef Aguerd being linked with a move to the North East.
It is unclear whether it is feasible for both Akturkoglu and Lauriente to be donning the red and white of Sunderland in the Premier League next season, but the money Benfica are asking for makes it hard.
According to Kutlu Akpinar on X (8 July), Sunderland are among the three Premier League teams interested in Akturkoglu, with Nottingham Forest and Everton also in the race.
Forest were the first team to contact Benfica, with the Portuguese giants requesting £38.75million for their winger.
The Black Cats are said to be in a position to pay a high transfer fee due to their budget as a result of their promotion, whilst David Moyes is also monitoring the situation.
Sunderland have a decision to make
With both Lauriente and Akturkoglu primarily operating on the left flank, Sunderland have a decision to make when it comes to who to bring to the Stadium of Light.
Whilst signing both would provide useful depth for Le Bris, other areas of his squad also need to be addressed.
| League Stats (2024/25 season) | Kerem Akturkoglu | Armand Lauriente |
| Appearences | 30 | 33 |
| Goals | 11 | 18 |
| Assists | 9 | 5 |
One thing to consider when deciding between the two is that Akturkoglu was playing top-flight football in Portugal last season, whilst Lauriente was playing in Italy’s second tier.
With both players being 26, they would provide useful experience to Le Bris’ forward line, whilst taking some of the pressure off youngsters such as Romaine Mundle.
Enzo Le Fee and Habib Diarra have already broken the transfer record twice this summer. Could Akturkoglu make it a third?
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