The striker clearly wants to move to Sunderland during the summer transfer window...

Alexandre Mendy has posted a cryptic 42-word social media message amid Sunderland’s transfer interest.

The Black Cats appear to be the only team in the market when it to the French striker, who has reiterated his desire to make the move to Wearside several times during the summer.

It is believed that Sunderland had agreed a deal with Caen’s previous ownership with the goalposts moved by the new owners after the recent takeover. Caen are now owned in part by Kylian Mbappe. Mendy was not in Caen’s squad last Friday and the French club have also just signed a new striker. The player has now posted a message to his social media accounts.

On his Instagram story, Mendy said: “You will wait. You will pray. You will be frustrated. You will question everything. But you will continue to be patient. You will continue to pray. Then one day, when you least expect it, it will finally happen. So never stop believing.”

Mendy himself has made no secret of his own desire to join Sunderland before the transfer window closes on Friday, and has released a number of statements reiterating his intention to leave France in the coming days. The most recent of these came over the weekend, with the 30-year-old sitting down for an in-depth interview with SportaCaen.fr in which he said: “My will has not changed, Sunderland has not withdrawn. Sunderland is always ready to welcome me and I am always ready to join Sunderland.”

He added: “I am waiting. With my family, we have planned. It is especially hard for my loved ones. We live in boxes. My head is in Sunderland. I do not see myself cheating while I have never cheated for the club. I have always given everything.

“I would like us to sit down around a table and find the best solution. The best solution for everyone is for me to go to Sunderland.

“It’s not something you can refuse, because it’s England, a football country. The coach has wanted me for a long time. It’s not just a question of money. Otherwise, I would have gone to Saudi Arabia. But it’s interesting for me and I don’t want to miss this opportunity. I also think about my family, my children. For my children’s education, it would be a good thing for them to discover a new country, a new language.”

Earlier this week, there was another chapter in the protracted saga, with Caen confirming the signing of striker Kalifa Coulibaly on Tuesday. It is understood that the 33-year-old has penned a one-year deal after a period of being without a club. It is unclear at this stage as to whether Coulibaly’s arrival will soften Caen’s stance on the potential sale of Mendy to Sunderland.