Real Madrid have been linked with a surprise move for Sunderland defender Trai Hume this summer
The report claims Real are looking at the market following the expected departure of long-serving defender Dani Carvajal, with the Spanish giants said to be keen on adding a rotation option rather than spending heavily in that area. Hume’s name has been mentioned alongside Chelsea youngster Josh Acheampong, Feyenoord’s Givairo Read, Brighton’s Matt Wieffer and Monaco defender Vanderson. The report suggests Hume could be available for around €22million - roughly £19million.
It is certainly one to file in the unlikely category at this stage, but it is another sign of how far Hume’s reputation has grown during another excellent season for Sunderland. The Northern Ireland international has been one of the Black Cats’ most consistent performers and his versatility, intensity and reliability have made him a major player under Régis Le Bris.
Hume’s rise has been remarkable. He played youth football for Ballymena United and Linfield before making his senior debut for Linfield in April 2019. He later spent time on loan with hometown club Ballymena, making 37 appearances and scoring six goals, before returning to Linfield and establishing himself as their first-choice right-back.
Sunderland signed Hume from Linfield in January 2022 on a four-and-a-half-year deal. He made his Black Cats debut in a 2-1 defeat to Cheltenham Town a month later and gradually forced his way into the side, becoming a regular during the 2022-23 campaign.
His progress was rewarded with a contract extension in 2023, before he signed a long-term deal following Sunderland’s promotion to the Premier League, keeping him at the club until the summer of 2030. Hume also scored his first Premier League goal earlier this season in Sunderland’s 4-3 defeat to Aston Villa, another milestone in a career that has continued to move quickly since his arrival from Northern Ireland.
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