Sunderland have been credited with an interest in Strasbourg star Dilane Bakwa
Sunderland are currently “further down the road” than Leeds United in the race to sign Strasbourg winger Dilane Bakwa, according to reports.
The Black Cats are understood to be eager to recruit another wide attacker between now and the end of the transfer window, with next Monday’s deadline looming ever larger.
What has been said about Sunderland’s transfer interest in Dilane Bakwa?
In an article detailing the pieces of business that could still be done at Elland Road between now and the transfer deadline, the local outlet emphasise Leeds’ interest in Bakwa, but state that the Whites are currently trailing both Sunderland and Forest in the race for his services.
An excerpt reads: “Leeds are interested in several options, including Dilane Bakwa. However, contacts close to Strasbourg outline that Nottingham Forest and Sunderland are further down the road in the transfer chase - and there are doubts over his desire to move to Elland Road. There has been a suggestion that much of the connections with Leeds is being drummed up by agents, though the Whites do retain interest. Strasbourg are holding out for €35 million (around £30m).”
For his part, Bakwa started his professional career at Bordeaux before making the move to Strasbourg in 2023. Since then, the France U21 international has registered 11 goals and 20 assists across 69 outings in all competitions, including two assists in two Ligue 1 appearances so far this season.
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What Kristjaan Speakman has said about Sunderland’s transfer plans
Speaking to Football Focus before Sunderland's recent win over West Ham, sporting director Kristjaan Speakman said the club would remain active in the transfer market right up until the transfer deadline on September 1st.
“It is a process all the way through to the end of the month," he said. "I mean, we're trying to build the best squad for the Premier League that we can do. We think we've had a really good start at that. Obviously, today will be a good test for us, the first game, but we'll be working away through to deadline day to try to make sure that the team is the right team and the squad is the right squad.
“Fans will be excited, obviously keen to see the new faces, but I think there'll be a few as well who want a bit of reassurance. You know, we've seen history not be kind to some clubs who've had a real go. So it's bound to be a bit of a gamble, it always is. But how much is the club future-proof to make sure everything will be okay in the long run? Yeah, we've always tried to look at every outcome when we make decisions.
“We're always looking at what's the short-term, and obviously for us that's the Premier League season, and obviously what the medium and long-term is. So we certainly have always been well-planned with that. I think you've always got to look at all the different outcomes, whether they're positive or negative.
“We're all geared up for the positive. You can spend a lot of time, I think, talking about the challenge and the difficulty. We've tried to assess the focus on what the solutions are and how we can build a really positive team for the Premier League.”
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