Sunderland want Doue as Florent Ghisolfi ready for another star transfer
Sunderland are making serious strides in the transfer market as they build a squad capable of Premier League survival.
The signing of Habib Diarra must be considered Sunderland’s most eye-catching transfer of the window so far.
Diarra was heavily linked with Leeds United, but ended up joining the Black Cats in a club-record deal for £30million.
Now, the Wearsiders’ new Director of Football, Florent Ghisolfi, has his eye on Diarra’s old Strasbourg teammate, Guela Doue.
Ghisolfi keen to reunite Diarra and Doue at Sunderland
The news signings are flying in at the Stadium of Light, with Noah Sadiki the latest name to choose Sunderland over Leeds.
It has been reported that the central midfielder has completed his medical ahead of a deal in the region of £17.2million.
Once complete, that will take the Wearsiders’ spending over £60million, with more signings expected over the coming weeks.
Now, Sunderland are targeting Strasbourg left-back Doue, according to Italian journalist Matteo Moretto.
| Guela Doue’s 2024/25 Ligue 1 statistics | Total |
| Appearances | 32 |
| Goals | 1 |
| Assists | 2 |
| Clean sheets | 8 |
| Tackles per game | 2 |
| Clearances | 4.6 |
He states that Ghisolfi is keen on the 22-year-old, who recently had interest from AC Milan and Chelsea.
Guela is the older brother of Paris Saint-Germain sensation Desire and has been a consistent fixture for Strasbourg since joining them last summer.
Last season, he made 32 appearances for the Ligue 1 side as they finished seventh, narrowly missing out on Europe.
The Black Cats utilising French market to great effect
Given Sunderland’s ties to France, it is unsurprising that they are targeting Ligue 1 for significant success.
Kyril Louis-Dreyfus grew up in and around Marseille as his dad held the role of majority shareholder and president.
Furthermore, Juan Satori serves as vice-president to AS Monaco, where he is also a member of their board of directors.
Then, there is, of course, Le Bris, who has done an almighty job since taking over as Black Cats boss.
Signing players from France is therefore an obvious route, but there are other factors why this is occurring.
Outside of England, Ligue 1 has been the most targeted league by Premier League clubs.
In general, the fees paid for France-based players are lower, and the transition to England seems to be smoother.
With that in mind, it is clear why Sunderland are signing from France, and they will almost certainly agree more deals from across the Channel.
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