Sunderland are getting busy in the transfer market after agreeing a deal for Leeds United target Habib Diarra.
Sunderland look set to follow up their hijack of Leeds United target Habib Diarra with another marquee addition as reports emerge of a move for Reinildo Mandava.
Sunderland are expected to confirm Diarra’s move to the Stadium of Light and are now moving to strengthen another key position, albeit this time at a far lower cost. Multiple outlets reported on interest in free agent left-back Reinildo over the weekend and on Sunday, Fabrizio Romano revealed a two-year contract had been agreed.
In a post on X, Romano wrote: “Reinildo to Sunderland, here we go! Two year deal done for the left back set to join from Atlético Madrid. After young investment on Diarra #SAFC want to get right balance in terms of experience. Ambitious project with one more important addition.”
Reinildo is out of contract with Atletico Madrid later this summer, having agreed a short-term extension in order to play in the Club World Cup, but with the Spanish side now out of the competition, he looks to have secured a move to the Premier League. The 31-year-old’s two-year contract is thought to be worth £65,000-per-week, according to the Guardian.
The signing of Reinildo does present a potential future issue for Sunderland, however, given he is a fully-fledged Mozambique international and will therefore be playing in the Africa Cup of Nations, which runs from December 21 to January 18. That means the full-back, and Senegal international Diarra, will both be unavailable for a crucial winter fixture period.
During that period, Sunderland host Leeds at the Stadium of Light and if things go to plan, they will be without two of their marquee summer signings in Diarra and Reinildo. The pair could also miss meetings with the likes of Brighton, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur and Brentford.
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Sunderland are thought to have beaten off plenty of competition for the experienced defender, although Leeds aren’t among that cohort. Reinildo was fleetingly linked with interest from Elland Road earlier this summer but despite the growing need for left-back reinforcements, the YEP understands those claims were wide of the mark.
Leeds are in the market for a new left-back but as things stand, the only credible link in that position came earlier this month with the YEP reporting on interest in Lille’s Swedish international Gabriel Gudmundsson. Junior Firpo’s contract officially expires today and he is widely expected to re-join Real Betis.
After a relatively quiet end to June, following the arrivals of Jaka Bijol and Lukas Nmecha, Leeds’ transfer business is expected to kick into gear heading into July, with priority given to adding more of a physical presence to Farke’s squad. Alongside a first-choice left-back, Elland Road chiefs are believed to want reinforcements at goalkeeper, central midfield and upfront, albeit no position is immune from strengthening.
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