Five days ago, Il Resto del Carlino reported Bologna have turned down the €28m bid from Sunderland for Jhon Lucumí, who is keen on making a switch to the Stadium of Light this summer.
On Friday, Bologna CEO Claudio Fenucci said the centre-back has aspirations to move elsewhere. However, he’s stay because the Serie A side don’t have enough time to find a quality replacement.
Bologna sporting director Marco Di Vaio has also insisted the Sunderland target will stay and TuttoMercatoWeb have relayed his comments.
“He can’t move at this time. We wouldn’t find a suitable replacement,” he said.
Il Resto del Carlino relay comments from Fenucci, Di Vaio and Lucumí’s agent Simone Rondanini, and then provide the latest on this case.
The agent said he was disappointed with Fenucci’s admission, considering his client’s plan has been to leave Bologna this summer if there’s the “right offer”. Rondanini has urged everyone to find a solution before the window closes.
Lucumí currently earns €800,000 per year and the Black Cats are offering him a five-year contract worth €3m per year. The Premier League newcomers have also offered €30m and this is still on the table.
It’s claimed the ‘game isn’t over’ as the Colombia international still wants to join Régis Le Bris’s side. It remains to be seen whether he wants to have a legal battle with the Italian club to secure a move to Sunderland.
Il Resto del Carlino states: ‘There is a possibility that Jhon could appeal to Article 17 of FIFA. Article 17 allows a player to be released in exchange for compensation after three years from the signing of the contract, provided that it was signed before the player turned 28 and that the player has notified the club of his intention to release himself within fifteen days of his last match. The power of the clubs is increasingly diminishing, Sunderland’s €30m still on the table, the game is not over.’
Lucumí joined the Serie A club in August 2022, and the report says there’s clearly a ‘risk of confrontation’ between the two parties. Whether a solution can be found soon or will be there be a legal battle remains to seen.