The latest transfer talk from Sunderland as the Black Cats look to strengthen their squad ahead of the return to the Premier League.
Sunderland’s attempts to bolster their defensive options are reportedly set to be delivered a blow as one target revealed his preference to move to a club in Europe.
Loan signing Chris Mepham has now returned to parent club Bournemouth and the Cherries have now taken up an option to extend his contract by another 12 months. Championship play-off semi-final hero Dan Ballard looks all but guaranteed to start the new season in the starting eleven and Luke O’Nien will hope to continue his rise up the leagues with Sunderland by being handed a Premier League start.
Dutch centre-back Jenson Seelt is back to full fitness ahead of the return to pre-season training and Aji Alese will hope to stake a claim for a place throughout the Black Cats preparations for the new season. However, there is a clear need to add further depth to Regis Le Bris’ options at the heart of his defence and there have been several players linked with a move to Wearside in recent weeks.
Liverpool and England star Joe Gomez, Chelsea’s Axel Disasi and Reims defender Cedric Kipre have all been named as potential targets for the Black Cats - but the most constant speculation has revolved around Millwall’s Japhet Tanganga, with recent reports suggesting the former Tottenham Hotspur man has a £1.2m release clause in his current Lions contract.
The former England Under-21 international made a big impact when he broke into the senior set-up at Spurs in 2020 before going on to make over 50 appearances for the North London club. However, he struggled to maintain that early momentum and a loan stint at Bundesliga club Augsburg failed to inspire an upturn in fortunes. Tanganga did seem to find a home during a loan spell at Millwall over the second half of the 2023/24 season and that became a permanent switch during the following summer.
The versatile defender has impressed during his time at The Den has his form has reportedly captured the attention of the likes of Sunderland, Wolves and Leeds United. However, TeamTalk have now claimed an ‘unnamed Bundesliga team’ are pushing for his signature and clubs in France and Turkey are also showing a keen interest in the 26-year-old. The report also reveals that the £1.2m release clause only applies to clubs in the Premier League and that means the Lions could net a higher fee if the defender departs for a move to the continent and the Championship outfit are said to be ‘resigned’ to losing Tanganga during the current transfer window.
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