New 'frontunners' named in race to sign Sunderland, Aston Villa and Leeds United transfer target
The latest transfer talk from Sunderland as the Black Cats prepare for the summer transfer window.
Sunderland are reportedly facing competition from Leeds United and Aston Villa in their attempts to sign a Barcelona winger.
The Black Cats are working hard to add to Regis Le Bris’ squad during the summer transfer window as the former Lorient head coach prepares his players for the most exciting season in Sunderland’s recent history. Qualification for the Europa League will place extra importance on the events of the coming months and there is an understanding Le Bris needs greater depth within his squad to cope with the hectic fixture schedule they will face during the new campaign.
Speaking after the final day win against Chelsea, Le Bris admitted he was not expecting the hectic summer he experienced 12 months ago as he prepared his side to return to the Premier League.
“We don’t need a repeat of what happened last summer," explained the Black Cats boss. "There are areas we will want to strengthen, but this is another stage of our journey now. It is different. The transfer window will still be important because the recruitment phase will influence the whole season. If you make a mistake, it can be hard, although it is never easy to anticipate everything. You always assess a player in a different environment, with different connections, a different background, different team-mates and opponents. It is hard to anticipate how they will react to a new club but I think the structure is getting better – we are much better aligned, with more people. We have more tools and options to see the full market. Before we had to make different decisions with a focus on certain countries and markets - now it is possible to go a bit wider. We will see what happens this summer."
The like of Neom midfielder Amadou Kone and Lorient star have both been linked with moves to Wearside in recent days and there was speculation suggesting Sunderland had ‘made checks’ on the availability of Barcelona’s highly-rated winger Roony Bardghji after reports stated he was free to leave the La Liga champions this summer. The Black Cats are far from the only club showing an interest in the Sweden international with TEAMtalk reporting Aston Villa, Brighton and Hove Albion, Brentford and Everton had also shown an interest.
Frontrunners
However, the same report claims Leeds United are now ‘well positioned’ to secure a deal for Bardghji and are said to be ‘long-term admirers’ of the former FC Copenhagen winger. The 20-year-old is said to be open to a loan deal during the summer transfer window - and Barcelona are looking to clear room in their squad after securing the signing of Newcastle United star Anthony Gordon ahead of possible moves for Manchester United winger Marcus Rashford, Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez and former Manchester City attacking midfielder Bernardo Silva. However, another report from SportsBoom has claimed Aston Villa are now the frontrunners to secure Bardghji’s signature with negotiations described as ‘expected to accelerate in the coming days’.