Loic Bade to Sunderland: Aston Villa target's future view, latest speculation, SAFC man's past comments

Sunderland are said to be in ‘pole position’ to see off competition from the likes of Aston Villa, Marseille and Villarreal to secure the signing of Sevilla and France defender Loic Bade.

The 25-year-old centre back featured for the La Liga club during the second half of their 1-1 pre-season friendly draw with the Black Cats on Saturday night and was actually shown a yellow card following a coming together with Sunderland forward Ahmed Abdullahi.

Bade has been described as ‘a towering defender’ and ‘a warrior’ during his time with Sevilla and was part of the side that secured a win against Roma in the 2023 Europa League final as the Spanish side solidified their position as the most successful club in the history of the competition.

There have been reports suggesting Bade could make a summer transfer window move away from Estadio Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán and a whole host of clubs across the Premier League, Serie A, Ligue 1 and La Liga have been named as potential suitors - but with Sunderland now named as ‘in pole position’ for Bade, we take a look at what has been said about a possible move and the player’s future.

What is the latest report linking Sunderland with Loic Bade?

After an initial post by El Chiringuito, French outlet FootMercato suggested the Black Cats and new Premier League rivals Bournemouth are ‘in pole position’ to sign the once-capped France international, who is said to be valued at around £25million by Sevilla.

The report stated: “Under contract until June 2029 with Sevilla FC, Loïc Badé is in the sights of several clubs according to El Chiringuito and as we can confirm to you. Sunderland where Florent Ghisolfi plays, the sports director who brought him back to Lens and who appreciates the player, is very interested. Moreover, he had thought of him when he was on the side of AS Rome. Bournemouth is also on the spot in the Premier League. On the French side, Olympique de Marseille keeps a close eye just like Villarreal. On the other hand, we can confirm that Tottenham's interest is not current even if another Premier League team thinks of Loïc Badé. This is Aston Villa.”

What has Loic Bade said about his Sevilla future?

Speaking to ABC Sevilla earlier this year amid speculation linking him with a move to Aston Villa, Bade said: “Yes, I have spoken to him (Monchi), but I have explained the situation and how well I feel. He was the first to understand it. I’m one of those who think in the present and that I feel very good here. So, I think more about being happy today than anything else. Then whatever has to happen will happen, but now I don’t think about anywhere else. When the summer comes, we’ll see where we are. Whether there are new offers or not, I don’t want to think about it.”

What has Florent Ghisolfi said about Loic Bade in the past?

As reported by the Echo, speaking after the defender left Lens to join Rennes in the summer of 2021, the current Black Cats sporting director said: “Loïc managed this period of solicitation and discussion with elegance and maturity. He is a very good player, but above all, he is a great person. We are proud to have recruited Loïc after only a few Ligue 2 matches, and to have created the conditions for his blossoming in Ligue 1. The work of the staff, his teammates, and his daily commitment have allowed him to fully express his potential.

“And the early arrival of this event in our transfer window and our pre-season will allow us to best prepare for this 2021-2022 season, by focusing once again on building a competitive squad and team determined to perform in this Ligue 1 championship.”

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