Sunderland U21s won 7-1 in Europe with Dennis Cirkin, Dan Neil and Luke O’Nien in the side
Sunderland were heavily linked with Jhon Lucumí this summer.
Regis Le Bris’ men were heavily linked with a swoop for the centre-back earlier this year, but ultimately fell short in their pursuit when the Serie A side refused to sanction his exit.
For his part, Lucumí and his representatives made no secret of their desire to force through a move to the Premier League, even going as far as to release a public statement to that effect. Nevertheless, Bologna remained resolute, with the club now hoping to extend the Colombian’s contract.
As recently as last month, technical director Giovanni Sartori explained: "We are talking to Lucumi about extending his contract and we would be very happy if he was to stay. Whether he would be happy about that, I don’t know, you’d have to ask him. We’ll see him later on and see what he has decided. After having to give up on his Premier League dream in the summer, he got right back on track with great professionalism. I hope we won’t have to do too much on the transfer market in January, considering the squad has so much quality.”
Following their thwarted attempt to prise Lucumí away from his current employers, Sunderland moved on to other transfer targets, bringing in Lutsharel Geertruida in the latter stages of the summer window to further strengthen a backline that had already been bolstered by the arrivals of Omar Alderete and Nordi Mukiele, amongst others. It is also understood that the Black Cats have made a decision not to rekindle their interest in Lucumí when the market reopens in the new year.
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What has been said about Jhon Lucumí’s situation at Bologna amid previous Sunderland transfer interest?
And now, in a new interview with Italian publication Tuttomercatoweb, Lucumí’s agent, Simone Rondanini, has delivered an update on his client and how he is progressing after the disappointment of his derailed move to the Stadium of Light.
He said: “The coach has never done without him, and Jhon has maintained a level of professionalism that sets him apart. There have been difficult situations, and he’s always wanted to defend the club’s colours. It’s right that [Bologna head coach, Vincenzo] Italiano has taken this attitude into consideration, in my opinion.”
Addressing Lucumí’s future at the club, Rondanini added: “Right now, we want to focus on the pitch, both at Bologna and with the national team. Doing well is crucial for his future. He and his family are happy in Bologna, and we’ll make every decision calmly.”
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