Sunderland
Sunderland‘s Habib Diarra has impressed in his debut season in the Premier League.
The Senegal international arrived at the Stadium of Light from RC Strasbourg in July 2025 and didn’t take time to settle in.
He had interest from AC Milan and Atlético Madrid, and in December, Diarra revealed he snubbed these two clubs for Sunderland.
Régis Le Bris started him in Sunderland’s first four league matches before his injury blow.
A groin injury in September forced him to spend close to three months on the sidelines. He only returned to the pitch with the Black Cats right before AFCON and represented his country in the continental tournament.
Since returning to Sunderland from AFCON, he regained his place in Le Bris’ starting XI and has been a regular since then.
His Premier League stats are as follows:
Appearances: 14
Starts: 12
Total minutes played: 1,102
Minutes per game: 79
Saudi Arabia interest in Sunderland star
Habib Diarra’s performances for both the English club and the national team have clearly not gone unnoticed.
That’s according to Media Foot, who cover what could happen with his Sunderland future after this season.
His performances have caught the attention of clubs in Europe and beyond. The report states the most pressing interest is from the Saudi Arabian market. An unnamed club from that country have come forward to secure his services in the summer.
In fact, the Sunderland star has been made as their priority target. The same club is ‘ready to spend a small fortune’ to take him away from Régis Le Bris’ side.
There’s no mention of the fee the Saudi side are willing to spend, or the fee needed to convince the Black Cats. Media Foot make it clear the operation is still in the early stages and the Saudi club have only made initial contact.
Habib Diarra contract, value and agent info
Agency Carmenta, headed by Joseph Mohan, represent the Senegalese.
Sunderland invested over €30m to secure Habib Diarra’s services and offered him a contract until 2030. Transfermarkt now value him at €32m, a €12m jump since his move to England.
The Black Cats’ stance on their star isn’t clear. Should they decide to sell, they would be looking to make a big profit.