Sunderland have pulled off an audacious transfer move to replace Jobe Bellingham
Habib Diarra celebrates a Strasbourg goal
Habib Diarra celebrates a Strasbourg goal(Image: Getty Images Europe)
Sunderland are set to smash their transfer record for the second time this summer with a £30million swoop for highly-rated midfielder Habib Diarra.
The Black Cats have reached an agreement with French side Strasbourg in a deal which will see £27m paid up front, and £3m in add-ons and a sell-on clause.
The player, according to transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano and Sky Sports, is set for a medical on Wearside with personal terms understood to not be a problem.
The signing is an audacious move by Sunderland and continues their strategy of looking at Ligue 1 for talent, with manager Regis Le Bris and incoming director of football Florent Ghisolfi using their contacts around French football.
However, the deal marks a significant statement of intent by Sunderland after promotion to the Premier League. They have shattered the transfer record they set with the permanent signing of Frenchman Enzo Le Fee this month.
Diarra, 21, is a Senegal international and shone at Wembley this month, scoring against England in a 3-1 win.
He is seen as one of the most promising young midfielders in European football and has attracted attention from a host of clubs. Sunderland are understood to have beaten off competition from the likes of Leeds United to land the player.
Leeds are believed to have submitted a £22m offer for the player which was rejected, prompting Sunderland to swoop.
Strasbourg president Marc Keller confirmed recently that Diarra will be permitted to leave should a suitable offer be made.
"There’s one player who should leave, based on a promise I made to him two years ago, and that’s our captain Habib Diarra," he said.
"When he extended his contract, we told him he was extending it, but that he wouldn’t leave until June 2025.
"So, if we get an attractive offer for him and for us, he could leave."
Diarra will replace Jobe Bellingham in the heart of Sunderland's midfield. The Black Cats received £30m from Borussia Dortmund for the England U21 international.