Florent Ghisolfi targets £61m triple transfer swoop as Sunderland eye top-level defensive reinforcements

Sunderland and Bournemouth are reportedly leading the race to sign Sevilla centre-back Loïc Badé, with a £25.5million valuation placed on the France international.

According to reports from Mercato and El Chiringuito, Sunderland are one of several clubs interested in signing Badé, who has established himself as one of the most consistent central defenders in La Liga over the past two seasons.

The 25-year-old joined Sevilla permanently for around €12million (£10.2million) in 2023 after a successful loan spell and has since gone on to earn his first senior cap for France, debuting against Germany in June. Sunderland sporting director Florent Ghisolfi, who worked with Badé at RC Lens, is said to be a major driving force behind the interest. Bournemouth are also heavily involved, while Marseille, Villarreal, and Aston Villa are monitoring the situation. Tottenham, however, are no longer thought to be in the race.

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Sunderland are also said to have already explored deals for Brighton's Igor Julio, who is valued at £17million, and Bologna’s Jhon Lucumí, who is currently viewed as the club’s top defensive target and is valued at £18.5million. Bournemouth again provide significant competition. If reports are to be believed, Sunderland look to have several irons in the fire.

Badé’s stock has risen rapidly since a turbulent spell at Nottingham Forest. After struggling at Rennes, where he moved for €17million (£14.4million), he has found consistency in Spain, culminating in a Europa League triumph with Sevilla and silver at the 2024 Olympic Games.

While no official bid has yet been lodged, Badé’s long-term contract with Sevilla (until 2029) means any deal could be complex. Sunderland, though, appear intent on adding top-level pedigree to their backline – and Badé fits that mould perfectly.

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Sunderland will continue their pre-season preparations on Monday night when they face Sporting CP in the Algarve, but will be without winger Romaine Mundle, who has undergone surgery on a recurring hamstring injury and is now expected to miss the start of the Premier League season.

The 22-year-old picked up the injury during the club’s pre-season training camp in Portugal and left earlier this week to undergo an operation. While the full extent of the setback is still being assessed, head coach Régis Le Bris confirmed Mundle will be sidelined when the campaign gets underway next month.

“Romaine has had surgery on his hamstring,” Le Bris said. "It's a real shame because Romaine worked really well through the summer. We decided to go for a conservative treatment, I think it was the best option when the advice from the specialists arrived.

“But in the end, he got this injury after a sprint in a training session, and now we have to wait. We don't have an exact timeframe yet, but it will be short [for the start of the season], for sure. We'll know the full extent a little later."

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