Sunderland’s £49k-a-week offer for Bologna defender Jhon Lucumí revealed as January transfer decision looms
Sunderland face a potential transfer battle in January after reports in Italy claimed the club “tried everything” to sign Jhon Lucumí this summer before Bologna refused to sanction a deal.
The 27-year-old Colombian international was high on Régis Le Bris’ list of defensive targets as the Black Cats looked to strengthen their backline following promotion to the Premier League. According to Quotidiano Sportivo, Sunderland offered the centre-back a deal worth around £2.56million per season - approximately £213,000 per month or around £49,000 per week - and made a formal bid, but Bologna stood firm and blocked the move.
Speaking last week, Bologna CEO Claudio Fenucci confirmed to Tuttomercatoweb that the Serie A club are now working to tie Lucumí down to a new long-term contract after selling fellow defender Sam Beukema earlier in the summer.
The Italian outlet reports that Lucumí was open to joining Sunderland and keen on testing himself in the Premier League, but the move collapsed after Bologna made it clear they weren’t willing to lose another first-choice centre-back in the same window.
Attention has now shifted to January, with speculation in England suggesting Sunderland could revive their interest when the winter market opens. However, Quotidiano Sportivo claim the situation hinges entirely on whether Lucumí agrees a new deal at Bologna before then.
The Serie A side have tabled an offer running until the summer of 2029 - including a significant pay rise to convince him to stay. But as it stands, there is no agreement, and Lucumí may choose to delay a decision on his future until the end of the season.
The Colombian defender is expected to focus on preparations for the World Cup in January and may be reluctant to disrupt his progress by moving clubs midway through the campaign. If he refuses to sign fresh terms, Sunderland could find themselves back in the running, with the player’s current deal expiring in 2027.
Régis Le Bris on Sunderland’s chances of survival
The Frenchman has overseen an encouraging start to the season, which has seen his side win two of their first three matches – beating West Ham and Brentford in front of more than 45,000 fans at the Stadium of Light – while suffering a 2-0 defeat away to Burnley. They now face a tough test on the road against Crystal Palace next weekend.
The Echo has launched a new WhatsApp SAFC Channel to bring the latest news, analysis and team & injury updates direct to your phone. Simply click this link to join ourSAFC WhatsApp channel.
"I'm really positive, really positive because one of the main challenges when you get promoted like that is to strengthen the squad, and it's not an easy task because the investment, the way you work together to recruit so many new players, is a massive challenge, and I think so far we are really good," Le Bris said.
"I'm thinking about the owner, the sporting direction, the recruitment structure and everyone who was involved in that process. I think it's really impressive. After that, obviously, you have to face new challenges and to put into practice the quality of the squad, and it's a process. At the minute, I'm happy. After that, we'll see throughout the season."
Sunderland invested heavily during the summer transfer window to reshape the squad, with more than £150million spent to give Le Bris the tools to compete in the top flight. Among the standout arrivals was Switzerland international Granit Xhaka, who joined from Bayer Leverkusen in a deal worth around £17.5million.
Asked if he could have imagined such backing when he took charge, Le Bris admitted: "I don't know. It's a good question. I'm happy, I repeat, I'm happy with the process, the energy of the club, the ambition, the desire to seize this opportunity. We know that to grow as a club in this league, it's a tough challenge. It's not linear, so we don't know what will happen in the future. But right now, at the minute, we can feel that we are well-organised and ambitious."
Continue Reading