Sunderland have opening £23m transfer bid rejected for Champions League star, club demanding £35m - reports
Sunderland have reportedly tabled a big money offer for Bafode Diakite
Sunderland and Bournemouth have both had big money offers for Lille defender Bafode Diakite rejected, according to reports.
The Black Cats have already been busy in the summer transfer market, bringing in five new players and completing a permanent deal for January loanee Enzo Le Fée. But Kristjaan Speakman and his recruitment team are still expected to pursue a number of targets between now and the end of the window, with defensive reinforcements understood to be on their list of priorities.
To that end, a number of talents have been linked with the Stadium of Light in recent weeks, and the latest name to emerge is that of Lille star Diakite.
What has been said about Sunderland’s transfer interest in Bafode Diakite?
According to French outlet L’Equipe, both Sunderland and Premier League rivals Bournemouth have submitted high profile bids for the 24-year-old, but will need to up their offers if they are to convince Lille into a sale.
As per the continental title, the Black Cats and the Cherries have tabled packages in the region of £23.3 million for the centre-back, with Lille flatly rejecting both. Instead, the Ligue 1 outfit are demanding a fee closer to £34.6 million for a player who is under contract until 2028. It remains to be seen whether Sunderland or Bournemouth have either the resources or the desire to match that higher figure. For his part, Diakite has supposedly expressed his desire to move to the Premier League.
Having started his career with Toulouse, Diakite made the switch to Lille in 2022 for a fee of around £2.6 million. Since then, he has amassed some 112 appearances for his current club, scoring 13 goals in the process and assisting three more. Last season, he registered 48 outings across all competitions, including 14 in the Champions League.
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Kristjaan Speakman confirms Sunderland's transfer plans for the rest of the transfer window
Speaking to Sky Sports last week, Sunderland sporting director Kristjaan Speakman confirmed that the club were still looking to make several additions to their squad. He said: “We've still got several more players that we need to acquire in certain areas of the pitch.
"I'll leave that a little bit loose for you but we have to try to find the right players. We've never been knee-jerk in our decision making. We'll try to be calm, but it's the balance of being calm, waiting and trying to find [players]. Also knowing that you've got the right ones and being decisive.
"Momentum is important. We want to make sure we can start well. We knew that we had three or four players that we felt were the right ones and we've tried to do them. I think that just shows the ambition of the ownership and the direction of the club."