Jhon Lucumi
After being pursued strongly by Sunderland in the summer window, Jhon Lucumi is now on the verge of leaving Bologna.
Some months ago, Sport Witness covered how ecstatic the Rossoblu were about keeping hold of the Colombian. They had tried hard to push away the Black Cats, who approached them for a permanent deal after Lucumi’s release clause had expired.
Despite this, Bologna have been struggling to keep the player beyond this season. The centre-back hasn’t shown any openness towards signing a new deal, with his current contract running out in 2028.
The Italian side are now actively seeking replacements, and Sunderland have another chance of signing Lucumi.
Black Cats move still possible
Corriere dello Sport report that Bologna sporting director Giovanni Sartori is already at work to replace Lucumi. They confirm that the Colombia international has rejected the chance to renew, with Lucumi keen on playing in England.
The newspaper feel it is ‘pointless to hide it’, with regards to the growing acceptance at Bologna that he’s leaving. Sunderland is the only destination mentioned.
The 28-year-old is still annoyed at Bologna, which doesn’t help. This is because they failed to sign a replacement last summer and this held up his exit. He has remained professional throughout but his stance on his future is very clear now.
Fluminense’s Juan Pablo Freytes, Fedde Leysen from Union Saint-Gilloise are seen as possible replacements.
Lucumi likely to push for exit
Even last summer, the defender’s agent had given a fiery interview to push through a deal. This didn’t lead to any rewards and didn’t help Sunderland, in fact it may have made Bologna more determined.
Now, things can change due to Lucumi’s contract expiry in 2027. Bologna wouldn’t want to lose him for free and naturally want to earn as much as possible from his sale.
This can also turn into a challenge for Le Bris’ side as more suitors join the chase. Bologna would love nothing more than an auction, although Sunderland would want to avoid that scenario.
Manchester City have already been mentioned as a suitor, which could be a sign of things to come.
🇨🇭Granit Xhaka | Sunderland star out of Switzerland training
➡️ Fitness issue explained by Swiss managerhttps://t.co/mT1TX8Ooll #safc
— Sport Witness (@Sport_Witness) March 30, 2026