Sunderland have been linked with a move for Japhet Tanganga

Sunderland are among the clubs monitoring Japhet Tanganga’s situation at Millwall this summer, but could face competition for the defender’s signature from Leeds United and Burnley, according to reports.

The Black Cats are gearing up for a long-awaited return to the Premier League, and have been linked with a whole host players in the aftermath of their Championship play-off final victory over Sheffield United last month.

And while many of their reported targets currently ply their trade in the top flight or abroad, an update from GiveMeSport suggests that Kristjaan Speakman and his recruitment team could also be willing to turn their attention to the second tier too.

What has been said about Sunderland’s apparent interest in Japhet Tanganga?

According to GiveMeSport’s report on the matter, Sunderland are one of several clubs monitoring Tanganga, with the Millwall defender also said to be on the radar of fellow Premier League new boys Leeds and Burnley. As per the online outlet, there is no frontrunner as things stand, but it is understood that all three clubs are “seriously considering formal approaches”.

The chasing pack have seemingly been encouraged by the relatively small release clause reportedly attached to Tanganga’s contract at The Den, with the 26-year-old understood to be available for a little under £2 million this summer.

For his part, the former Tottenham Hotspur talent is capable of operating as either a centre-back or a right-back, and was voted Millwall’s Player of the Season for the 2024/25 campaign. Earlier in his career, he also drew praise from ex-Spurs boss Jose Mourinho, and garnered Premier League experience in high-profile clashes with the likes of Liverpool, Manchester City, and Chelsea.

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.

What has Kristjaan Speakman said about Sunderland’s transfer strategy?

Addressing Sunderland’s transfer plans earlier this week, sporting director Kristjaan Speakman said: "We're always trying to get the balance right between being prepared for whichever league you might be in and we've tried to do that," Speakman said.

"Naturally as a play-off winning team you're behind where other clubs might be, but we're fast-tracking that and catching up. We're looking to improve and build a team that is capable of staying in the Premier League, I think the objective is fairly clear.

“Everyone will point to the statistics as to how difficult it is to stay in the Premier League and we're fully aware of that, we're not naive. Our strategy in getting to the Premier League and the solutions we needed, to the ones we need to stay there, will be different. That's work we're doing at the minute but ultimately, we're going to stick to our values. We need to have a team that the community and city is proud of, we've build that in the current team and we have to have that in the Premier League.

"When we came to the club we had a multi-year strategy about how we'd able to get back to the Premier League, and it's about continuing that way of thinking. We're going to make decisions that are in the best interests of the club to try and retain our position in the Premier League, while also making decisions that don't negatively impact the club in the long term. I think we've seen before at Sunderland that if you don't consider those factors, how negative that can be in the long term. I don't think it's necessarily anything different in terms of our principles, but there are clearly key decisions coming up around making sure we have a squad capable of achieving our objective of staying up."

Your next Sunderland read: Jobe Bellingham transfer latest: Sunderland holding firm with interesting international call made