Sunderland open talks for Armand Laurienté and Marcin Bulka, with Roma defender Angeliño also linked.
Sunderland’s Premier League transfer activity is heating up, with fresh reports linking the Black Cats to several high-profile targets across Europe.
According to SportItalia’s Gianluigi Longari, Sunderland are one of three English clubs showing interest in Spanish left-back Angeliño, currently on the books at AS Roma. Crystal Palace and Bournemouth are also in the mix, but neither club is reportedly willing to exceed an offer of £10.1million (€12million). However, Roma are holding out for a figure closer to £17million (€20million) – with the club under pressure to complete a major sale before June 30 to meet UEFA’s Financial Fair Play requirements.
Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport claims Sunderland may hold a slight advantage in the race for the 27-year-old due to their recent appointment of former Roma sporting director Florent Ghisolfi, who played a key role in Angeliño’s move to the Italian capital. Despite that link, the same source reports that the player is currently unimpressed with proposals made by all three Premier League clubs.
Elsewhere, Fabrizio Romano reports that Sunderland are in active negotiations with OGC Nice to sign Poland international goalkeeper Marcin Bulka. The 25-year-old is under contract until 2026 but could be available for around £17million (€20million).
Bulka made 40 appearances for Nice last season, keeping 30 clean sheets in 89 total games since joining the Ligue 1 side permanently in 2022. A former Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain prospect, he has also earned five senior caps for Poland. Sunderland are believed to be one of several clubs to make contact, but Romano says Le Bris’ side are currently the most active in pursuing a deal for the 6’4” stopper.
Meanwhile, in the Championship, Tommy Doyle – a player Sunderland had shown interest in – is now set to join Birmingham City on loan, according to Football League World. The move from Wolves will include an option for a permanent transfer. The Black Cats and Wrexham were both credited with interest earlier this summer.
Finally, reports from France suggest Sunderland have now opened talks with Sassuolo over a move for Armand Laurienté. The forward is valued at £17million, and already has a strong working relationship with head coach Régis Le Bris from their time together at Lorient. The 25-year-old Frenchman has been earmarked as a key target as Sunderland look to land a statement attacking signing ahead of their return to the Premier League. Talks are said to be underway.
What has Marcin Bulka said about his future amid reported Sunderland transfer interest?
For his part, Bulka has not shied away from conversations surrounding his future of late. Speaking back in October, when asked to address speculation linking him with Catalan giants Barcelona, the 25-year-old admitted that he was eager to one day prove himself in the very highest echelons of the continental game.
He said: “Barcelona? As they say, in every rumour there is a bit of truth… I am here to perform well every week and give arguments for clubs like that to speak about me. It really is a compliment. When someone speaks about these clubs, it is extra motivation for me and a sign that I am doing things well.”
Bulka also insisted that he was “focused” on his job at Nice at the time of the interview, as he has since repeated that stance frequently, but he did not rule out the prospect of a summer departure either. He continued: “I have my dreams and my objectives. I want to play in the Champions League, I want to play for the national team in the biggest competitions and be one of the best goalkeepers in the world. I don’t have a dream club where I would like to play.” When questioned directly on the possibility of an exit from Nice, he added: “We will see what will happen.”
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To that end, Bulka is not the only one who has been openly discussing the likelihood of his departure. Last month, Nice boss Franck Haise admitted that it was “logical” that the player should leave, given his current contract situation, and also stated: “Just because he has one year on his contract doesn’t mean that he can’t leave for not a lot [of money].”
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