Major development shared in Sunderland's Alexandre Mendy pursuit as agent makes fresh transfer claim

Representatives of long-term Sunderland target Alexandre Mendy are hopeful that the player’s protracted transfer saga will be brought to an end in the near future, according to reports from France.

The striker has been linked with a move to Wearside for several weeks now, and has made no secret of his desire to leave current club SM Caen for the Black Cats. Matters have been complicated by the arrival of new owners in Normandy, however, with a consortium fronted by Real Madrid icon Kylian Mbappe seemingly eager to keep Mendy on their books.

For his part, Mendy has largely been training on his own in France, and was omitted from Caen’s match day squad for their Ligue 2 opener against Paris FC at the weekend. From a Sunderland perspective, fresh hope was also injected when reports emerged suggesting that a possible replacement for the 30-year-old, Mbaye Niang, was spotted in attendance at that game.

And now, Foot Mercato weigh in with a notable update on Mendy’s situation. According to the French outlet, the player’s entourage are now hoping for a “quick outcome”, and are counting on Caen’s new owners to finalise a deal in the coming days.

It is also understood that Sunderland have increased their offer for Mendy to somewhere between £1.7 million and £2.6 million, including bonuses, and that in spite of emerging interest from Italian sides Lecce, Sampdoria, and Salernitana, the Guinea-Bissau international is still intent on moving to England.

Indeed, Foot Mercato also share a fresh statement from the player’s agent, claiming: "Alex is still determined to join Sunderland, there are about ten days left, we will not give up, our determination is intact. We remain positive and we are counting on the new management to unblock this situation."