Sunderland have identified a rising star defender as a 'top priority' signing, with Arsenal scouts also left blown away by the player.
Sunderland prepare for Port Vale as they look to spark FA Cup run
Sunderland have a date with destiny at Vale Park on Sunday afternoon, and all the signs point to the Black Cats making light work of it.
Regis Le Bris' side face Port Vale in the FA Cup fifth round, a League One club sitting dead last in the third tier who only booked their place in this round by beating Bristol City in extra time — a fourth-round tie that had already been postponed once due to a waterlogged pitch.
sunderland-premier-league-regis-le-bris
It was a gritty, late effort from Kiwi forward Ben Waine that did the damage, and Vale will rightly celebrate reaching this stage.
However, facing a well-organised Premier League outfit with genuine cup ambitions is an entirely different proposition.
Sunderland are comfortably established in the top flight again after years in the wilderness, sitting a healthy 12 points clear of the relegation zone and with a squad that has adapted to life back among the elite with impressive maturity.
Le Bris has them well drilled, hard to beat and dangerous in transition.
They knocked Everton out on penalties in round three before seeing off Oxford United 1-0 in the fourth round thanks to a Habib Diarra penalty, and they arrive in Stoke-on-Trent as heavy favourites to advance to the last eight of the FA Cup for the first time in many years.
florent-ghisolfi-sunderland-premier-league Related
[Player agrees Sunderland exit after "positive discussions" with Ghisolfi with deal done](https://www.footballfancast.com/ian-poveda-sunderland-exit-florent-ghisolfi-internacional-de-bogota/ "Player agrees Sunderland exit after "positive discussions" with Ghisolfi with deal done")
He's departed the Black Cats for a new challenge.
A quarter-final place is firmly in their sights, and the dream of a first major trophy since 1973.
While the cup takes centre stage this weekend, work is already quietly taking shape behind the scenes at the Stadium of Light on summer recruitment, and one name keeps coming up.
Sunderland identify Karim Coulibaly as 'top priority target'
Karim Coulibaly of Werder Bremen has been identified as a "top priority target", according to Sport Boom.
Regis-Le-Bris
The 18-year-old 'rising star' has been catching the eye of scouts across the continent with his composure on the ball, left-footed precision and ability to execute under pressure — precisely the profile Le Bris values in a modern defender. Sunderland want him, and want him badly.
They are not alone, though.
Arsenal have also been keeping a very close eye on the teenager, with the Gunners' head scouts having attended Bundesliga games specifically to watch him in action, returning with assessments described as 'glowing'.
Mikel Arteta's recruitment team see Coulibaly as a long-term investment — a player capable of eventually filling the void left when Gabriel Magalhães moves on.
When a club of Arsenal's calibre start filing that kind of report on a player, interest tends to intensify quickly.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta
Coulibaly is currently working his way back from a thigh muscle injury, though sources close to the situation suggest his rehabilitation is tracking ahead of schedule.
Werder Bremen are in no rush to sell — he is contracted until 2029 — and will expect a fee in the region of £21 to £25 million from any club that comes to the table seriously this summer.
The competition for his signature is clearly building, but Sunderland have placed their marker down early and made their intentions clear.
Whether they can see off the interest from bigger clubs remains to be seen.
Elsewhere, Le Bris says Sunderland's official announcement is 'wonderful news for the club'.
Liverpool striker Alexander Isak-2 Related
Sunderland open talks to sign their own version of Alexander Isak this summer
Le Bris's Sunderland project is growing more attractive by the month.