Italian reports claim Sunderland are among several Premier League clubs monitoring the Napoli winger’s situation

Sunderland are reportedly among a group of Premier League clubs monitoring the situation of Napoli winger Noa Lang ahead of the January transfer window.

That is according to Italian newspaper Il Mattino, which has included Sunderland among the clubs keeping an eye on the 26-year-old while assessing potential departures from the Serie A champions during the winter market. The report claims that Sunderland and Everton are both part of the wider picture when it comes to interest in Lang, with the winger said to have attracted attention from several clubs outside Italy. The player is believed to be worth around £21.6million.

Il Mattino’s coverage follows separate claims from Italy earlier this week, suggesting Leeds United have already made an approach regarding a January move. Leeds are understood to have tracked Lang for a number of years, dating back to his spell at Club Brugge, and are now joined by Sunderland, Fulham and Everton in the list of interested parties.

The Italian outlet has outlined a number of players who could potentially leave Napoli this winter as the club looks to manage its squad following last season’s title success, with Lang named as one of those whose situation is being closely watched. Lang only arrived in Naples in July 2025, joining Antonio Conte’s side from PSV Eindhoven on a long-term deal running until 2030. His move followed an impressive campaign in the Eredivisie, where he registered 14 goals and 12 assists across 44 appearances in all competitions.

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At this stage, there is no suggestion that Napoli have made a firm decision on Lang’s future, nor that any formal bid has been lodged by Sunderland or other Premier League clubs. However, the winger’s name continuing to surface in Italian reporting underlines the level of interest developing ahead of the window. As ever, any potential move would depend on Napoli’s stance and the financial framework involved, but the reports add Lang to a growing list of attacking players being linked with Sunderland as January approaches.

In other news, Sunderland have confirmed their first signing of the January transfer window - with winger Jocelin Ta Bi arriving on a long-term deal.

Sporting director Kristjaan Speakman has said that Ta Bi will be integrated ‘patiently’ into the club following his arrival from Israeli side Maccabi Netanya, and the club have confirmed that he will not be available to face Crystal Palace on Saturday afternoon at the Stadium of Light.

Speakman says that the 20-year-old is a ‘dynamic and explosive’ right winger. “We’re delighted to reach an agreement for Jocelin to join Sunderland,” Speakman said. “A dynamic and explosive wide player who enjoys attacking duels, predominantly from the right side, he is a player with high potential, and we will integrate him patiently into our Club. We believe in the player, and we believe in our approach to developing talent, so we are looking forward to starting the journey with him, and I’m sure our supporters will also enjoy the attributes he brings to our team.”

It has been reported that Sunderland will pay a fee of around £3.5 million for Ta Bi, who had been close to joining Celtic before the Black Cats intervened. Though he has signed from Maccabi Netanya, the Ivory Coast youngster had been on loan for the last 18 months at Hapoel Petah Tikva, which is where he came to Sunderland’s attention. Having played a key role in their promotion to the Israeli top tier last season, he has scored twice and registered two assists in the top tier this season.

Ta Bi said it was a dream to join a Premier League club: “Playing in the Premier League has always been a dream of mine, and I’m incredibly excited for what’s ahead. I know there’s still plenty of work to do, and pushing myself every day and improving is something I’m fully committed to. We have some special things ahead of us at Sunderland, and I’m looking forward to taking this journey together.”

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