‘Sunderland to go all out for Diakite transfer’ as Bournemouth twist emerges
Bafode Daikite has been linked with a move to Sunderland this summer.
Six new arrivals have already checked in at the Stadium of Light, with Armand Lauriente expected to be the seventh after an agreement was reached with Sassuolo.
The Black Cats have shown a remarkable amount of ambition already this summer and have shown no signs of stopping there.
Signing a new central defender remains high up on their list of priorities, with a new update emerging on their pursuit of Diakite.
Lille reject Bournemouth offer as Sunderland push further
Jhon Lucumi is another defender to have been linked with a move to Sunderland, and it may be a more reasonable option considering his asking price is likely to be significantly less than that of Diakite.
Fabrice Hawkins has reported via X (19 July) that Lille are holding out for a fee in the region of £35million, having recently rejected an offer of £26m from Bournemouth.
| Season | Appearances | Goals | Assists | Minutes Played |
| 2024/25 | 48 | 4 | 1 | 4,282′ |
| 2023/24 | 28 | 6 | 2 | 2,159′ |
| 2022/23 | 36 | 3 | – | 2,925′ |
Sunderland have already spent over £100m this summer, and with Diakite and Lauriente, that spending would surpass £150m, and whether those levels of finances remain is yet to be seen.
Either way, the Black Cats will be intent on bolstering their defence before their campaign gets underway at home to West Ham in August.
Dan Ballard needs an elite partner next season
Luke O’Nien is a Sunderland legend by all means, but there are many doubts about whether he is cut out for the Premier League, especially with VAR around.
Signing a left-sided central defender will be a priority for the Wearsiders, who will be keen to add several more bodies to their squad in the coming weeks.
Of course, to facilitate that, a handful of players may be moved on, with doubts over the future of Romaine Mundle already emerging.
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