Last month, La Nazione reported Sunderland were keeping a close eye on Fiorentina defender Eddy Kouadio.
This suggestion wasn’t new as FiorentinaNews reported in April that the youngster would struggle to reject any advances from the Black Cats, despite his love and respect for the Italian side.
More has now emerged and it seems like Sunderland made attempts to sign Kouadio. FiorentinaNews report Regis Le Bris’ side made ‘concrete moves’ to sign the 19-year-old in the summer transfer window.
They note that Sunderland were determined to sign the talent but this pressure led to Fiorentina making a major decision about the player, as manager Stefano Pioli used him from the bench against Torino at the weekend.
That was a step forward for Kouadio, and he’s been praised for his performance, with it explained he didn’t make a single error despite it being his Serie A debut.
As a result of that, Fiorentina decided to move away from signing Victor Lindelöf on a free transfer, as they now trust Kouadio to make a mark during the campaign.
The teenager is said to be attracting significant interest, and with his contract at La Viola running out in the summer of 2027, the outlet believe that Fiorentina might have to act fast and tie him down further.