Sunderland midfielder Habib Diarra has been discussing his summer move to the Black Cats

Sunderland midfielder Habib Diarra has opened up on his move to the North East, and how swiftly he was convinced of the Black Cats’ sporting project during the summer transfer window.

The Senegal international, who helped his country lift the African Cup of Nations earlier this month, became the Premier League new boys’ record signing after completing a £30 million switch from RC Strasbourg.

Since then, a combination of injuries and international duty have limited Diarra to just six appearances in red and white, with his most recent outing coming from the bench in Saturday’s 3-1 defeat at the hands of West Ham on Saturday.

But with the 22-year-old finally back in contention for a regular role on Wearside, the expectation is that he can kick on to play a key role for Sunderland over the remainder of the campaign. And in a fresh interview with M+, he has emphasised just how pleased he is to have signed for the Black Cats.

What has Sunderland midfielder Habib Diarra said about his transfer to the Stadium of Light?

Speaking to the French outlet, when asked how his move to Sunderland came about, he said: “Honestly, I'd say it happened quite naturally. My agent called me to tell me about Sunderland. I spoke with the coach and the sporting director, and at the end of the meeting, I immediately said, ‘Yes, I'm going there!’ Because they shared the same values as me, and I think that's very important. The club was also similar to my former club, Strasbourg: a family club, the fans are always there, they help us, they encourage us. And for me, that's important, because I play football to experience emotions like that.”

The Echo has launched a new WhatsApp SAFC Channel to bring the latest news, analysis and team & injury updates direct to your phone. Simply click this link to join our SAFC WhatsApp channel.

On adapting to life in England, he added: “It's going very well, even though I was injured for three months. I'm in the North of England, the city is quite quiet, but that doesn't bother me because I'm a bit of a homebody. I stay home, which suits me perfectly. And for the rest, it's all about sport, sport, sport, spending most of my days at the training ground from 9 am to 4:30pm, when it's not match day. The club's facilities are top-notch. Honestly, that's when you realise you're in the Premier League. For me, it's the best league, exactly where I want to be.”

Diarra was also asked about Sunderland’s ambitions for the remainder of the season, to which he replied: “Given that in the last five years, teams promoted to the Premier League have been immediately relegated, our number one objective is to avoid relegation. It's not a done deal yet, but I think we can be ambitious and aim a little higher.”

Your next Sunderland read: Transfer news: Dan Neil moves closer to Sunderland exit with Championship side on brink of loan deal