The [Black Cats](http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/sport/football/sunderland) have paid an up-front fee of £18.5m to the Seagulls for the 23-year-old, with a further £2.5m of potential future add-ons also having been agreed.
Adingra, who has signed a five-year contract at the Stadium of Light, becomes Sunderland’s sixth signing since securing their return to the Premier League in last season’s play-off final.
Black Cats officials initially tried to sign the Ivory Coast international on deadline day in January as part of the talks over Tommy Watson’s proposed move to Brighton.
Those discussions collapsed shortly before the transfer deadline, but Sunderland’s persistence has paid off, with Adingra having turned down a number of alternative offers in order to move to Wearside.
“It’s a pleasure to be here, and I cannot wait to get started,” said Adingra. “The club and the project are really exciting. I spoke with everyone and their interest in me made the decision easy - I wanted to be part of Sunderland’s future.
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“Playing in the Premier League has been a dream of mine since I was a kid, so to continue doing that is incredible. It’s a big challenge ahead – we’ll be facing top players and strong opponents - but I’m ready for it.”
Born in Abidjan, the Ivorian capital, Adingra moved to Denmark as a youngster and made his senior debut with Nordsjaelland at the age of 19.
He joined Brighton in the summer of 2022, but was immediately loaned to Belgian side Union Saint-Gilloise, where he spent the whole of the 2022-23 campaign, making 51 senior appearances in all competitions.
He returned to Brighton the following summer, and has spent the last two seasons playing with the Seagulls. He made 73 senior appearances over the course of those two campaigns, scoring 12 goals, and also boasts 22 caps with the Ivory Coast national side.
He was a key member of the Ivorian side that won the Africa Cup of Nations in 2023, and won the Man of the Match award in the final as his side beat Nigeria 2-1.
“Our long-standing interest in Simon has been well documented and it’s no secret that we worked hard to bring him to the club in January, so it’s great to finally see him on Wearside,” said Sunderland’s sporting director Kristjaan Speakman.
“He’s a quick and direct wide player, who can play on both sides and travels with the ball at speed. He’s got significant Premier League experience, which is important for us as a newly-promoted team, and due to our recent connection with him, he already has a strong understanding of Sunderland AFC and our journey. Simon is ready to play his part, and we are excited to see him in our team.”