Sunderland have made a €30m (£26m) offer for Bologna defender Jhon Lucumi, according to Corriere di Bologna (via Sport Witness).
The Stadium of Light side are not giving up on their efforts to sign the Colombia international, having targeted him during the summer transfer window, and are aiming for his arrival in January.
Lucumi’s contract with Bologna expires at the end of the 2026/27 season, and the Serie A side are looking to extend the agreement, although their attempts are proving to be ‘very complex’.
While the defender is believed to be considering Bologna’s offer, his agent is reportedly pushing for a move to Sunderland, who have tabled a wage offer of €3m (£2.6m) per season.
Bologna are expecting to resolve the uncertainty over Lucumi’s future in January –failure to agree a new contract would make his departure ‘inevitable’.
Sunderland Make Offer for Jhon Lucumi
Jhon Lucumi
According to Corriere dello Sport, Bologna would prefer to keep Lucumi until the end of the season if no breakthrough in contract talks is made, considering he remains a key player for the Serie A club despite the ongoing uncertainty over his future.
The 27-year-old, who joined the Italian side from Genk in the summer of 2022, has made 117 appearances for Bologna to date, helping the club qualify for the Champions League in 2023/24.
Lucumi, praised as a ‘phenomenon’, has featured in every game of the 2025/26 campaign so far, making six appearances in Serie A and another two in the Europa League, where Bologna are still searching for their first win.
Sunderland have made a positive start on their return to the Premier League, losing just twice in their opening seven games under head coach Regis Le Bris.
The Stadium of Light side went on a four-game unbeaten run before falling 2-0 at Manchester United earlier this month and next face winless Wolves at home on Saturday.
The Black Cats were one of the busiest Premier League clubs this summer, spending £162m on new arrivals, including Granit Xhaka, Simon Adingra, Habib Diarra and Omar Alderete.