It looks set to be a very busy couple of weeks on Wearside as Sunderland step up their pursuit of key targets
Sunderland’s summer transfer window is picking up real pace with clubs returning to pre-season training and finalising their plans for the campaign ahead.
Here, we run you through all the latest on incomings and outgoings in our weekly transfer Q&A…
What’s the latest on Sunderland’s incoming transfer business?
The club believe they are on the brink of their first transfer breakthrough, with Thomas Meunier landing in the north east this morning. The 34-year-old is a free agent having left Lille at the end of last season and is expected to undergo a medical today. If all goes well as expected, he’ll put pen to paper on a two-year deal in the next 24 hours. It is a decisive move from the Black Cats, who have swooped very quickly to land the full back who had interest from Hull City and Valencia amongst others.
How will Thomas Meunier fit into the squad and what does it mean for the rest of the club’s transfer business?
Despite the signing of Granit Xhaka last summer, Sunderland still have one of the youngest squads in the Premier League. The feeling is that Meunier can add more leadership to the group and as Sunderland step into European competition for the first time in over 50 years, he is another player who understands the demands it will bring. Sunderland are proud of their culture at the Academy of Light and believe Meunier can add to it further. Having played 35 times for Lille across all competitions last season while also playing an active role for Belgium, he can still very clearly contribute on the pitch. An instinctively attacking full back, his impressive numbers in the World Cup show he remains a player who can generate chances for his team and in that sense adds something a little different to the other options in the position.
With Nordi Mukiele and Trai Hume already in the squad, however, he’s unlikely to be a starter every game. So it makes sense for the squad dynamics not to have to invest a huge fee in this position, while also signing an elite professional who will come in comfortable with his role in the squad and ready to contribute accordingly.
It would appear to signal the end of the club’s pursuit of Lutsharel Geertruida on a permanent deal, though the defender’s long-term future does still remain unresolved. It's thought to be highly unlikely he returns to Sunderland at this stage, though of course until his next move is decided you can't say for sure.
What’s the latest on Sunderland’s pursuit of Matías Soulé?
Soulé is back at AS Roma’s training ground and training with the squad in their early stages of pre-season, though there remains a widespread expectation that he will depart this summer. AS Roma boss Gian Piero Gasperini wants to refresh his attacking options for the club’s Champions League campaign, and there is interest in Chelsea’s Alejandro Garnacho and Strasbourg’s Diego Moreira amongst others. To finance such an overhaul, some players would have to leave to raise revenue and that’s where Soulé comes in. Sunderland know the player well as it was Ghisolfi who signed him for AS Roma from Juventus in the first place, and his creativity and strong 1-v-1 skills would make him a good fit for Régis Le Bris’s style.
The question is whether Sunderland will ultimately be happy with AS Roma’s valuation and whether the player is keen to make the move given interest from other clubs. European football and Sunderland’s upward trajectory will certainly help, but only time will tell.
With both clubs back in pre-season training and AS Roma’s ownership having flown into the Italian capital ahead of the new campaign, the expectation is that things will now start to accelerate. It’s worth stressing that as with all the positions Sunderland are looking to recruit in, they are juggling a variety of targets. The speed with which the Meunier deal has accelerated is a great reminder that the club are exceptionally good at keeping much of their business under wraps. With Sunderland, always expect the unexpected.
Which other positions are Sunderland looking to recruit?
Sunderland would like to sign an additional centre back to improve their depth, and though Sassuolo defender Tarik Muharemović is a player of interest he has very strong interest from Leeds who are widely reported to be leading the race. His situation is complicated by the fact that Juventus hold a 50% sell-on clause, driving up the fee. As with other positions, Sunderland have a number of potential targets they are juggling.
Sunderland also need a left back following Dennis Cirkin’s departure, and further reinforcements in the final third are possible as well as the clear priority of adding an additional right winger. Sunderland have been absolutely clear from the outset, however, that this summer is about stability and quality rather than quantity.
What’s the latest on outgoings?
Sunderland are working to resolve Simon Adingra’s future amid interest from a large number of clubs both in the UK and on the continent. With Adingra’s replacement essentially in the building already in Nilson Angulo, a sale would shore up their SCR position and relieve a bit of pressure on the wage bill to allow for those reinvestments elsewhere.
While a number of fringe players will inevitably depart, in terms of key players it is fairly quiet. Sources believe that is a reflection of Sunderland’s strong internal stance that they do not need or want to sell key assets this summer, with other clubs understanding that deals won’t be easy this summer. Of course you can’t rule out an enormous bid changing the picture quickly and decisively, but so far there is real stability behind the scenes. The SCR rules mean Sunderland inevitably need to sell well to reinvest as time goes on, but Eliezer Mayenda’s sale has created some valuable headroom and allows the club to be stronger in their stance. If there is a departure this summer it will be for a huge sum and there will certainly be no wholesale change.
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