Fulham have entered advanced talks over a £30m deal as Sunderland and Leeds United battle for a transfer breakthrough
Sunderland’s pursuit of Strasbourg winger Dilane Bakwa has taken another twist after reports claimed Fulham are in advanced talks to sign the 22-year-old, as the Black Cats face mounting pressure to complete a deal before Monday’s transfer deadline.
Transfer insider Pete O’Rourke reports that Fulham are pushing hard to beat Nottingham Forest to Bakwa’s signature, adding further competition to an already heated race. On social media, he wrote: “Understand Fulham are in advanced talks to sign Strasbourg winger Dilane Bakwa as they look to beat Nottingham Forest to his signature.”
Sunderland have been heavily linked with the French U21 international in recent weeks and, according to Leeds Live, remain “further down the road” than Leeds United, who also hold an interest but are believed to be trailing behind both the Black Cats and Forest.
Strasbourg are understood to be holding out for around €35million (£30m), with Bakwa viewed as one of their most valuable assets. The 22-year-old, who began his professional career at Bordeaux before joining Strasbourg in 2023, has been in fine form, producing 11 goals and 20 assists across 69 appearances in all competitions.
This season, Bakwa has already provided two assists in two Ligue 1 matches, making him one of the most in-demand wide players in the final days of the window. Sunderland are still eager to add another winger to Régis Le Bris’ squad before the deadline, but now face stiff competition, with Fulham, Forest, and Leeds all circling.
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.
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“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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