Sunderland target wants summer transfer as Black Cats willing to sanction first team exit - round-up
All of the latest Sunderland-related transfer news and speculation
Sunderland transfer target Armand Lauriente wants to leave current club Sassuolo amid ongoing interest from the Black Cats, according to reports.
The 26-year-old has been repeatedly linked with a move to the Stadium of Light this summer, with a recent update from French outlet Foot Mercato suggesting that the Premier League new boys have already contacted their Italian counterparts over a prospective deal.
For their part, Sassuolo are said to be demanding a fee in the region of £25.3 million for their prized asset, but it remains to be seen whether Sunderland would be willing to match that valuation. At the time, Lauriente himself was said to be “weighing up his options”, and now journalist Nicolo Schira has offered an update on the player’s thinking. Writing on X, the reporter said: “Bologna and Sunderland have shown interest in Sassuolo’s winger Armand Lauriente, who would like to leave.”
Alan Browne’s Sunderland future called into question
Elsewhere, online outlet Football Insider have suggested that Sunderland would be willing to sanction Alan Browne’s exit from the club this summer - especially if they can seal an ambitious swoop for Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Granit Xhaka.
The ex-Arsenal man has been heavily linked with a move to the Stadium of Light in recent days, and if he were to make the switch, he would join Noah Sadiki and Habib Diarra as notable midfield acquisitions for the Black Cats this summer.
According to Football Insider, that could further jeopardise Browne’s position on Wearside, with the Republic of Ireland international in danger of falling down the pecking order over the coming weeks. And with that in mind, it has been claimed that a departure could be facilitated for a player who only joined the Black Cats on a free transfer from Preston North End this time last year.
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Romaine Mundle contract offer submitted amid PSV Eindhoven update
And finally, Sunderland are preparing a contract offer for winger Romaine Mundle, according to transfer insider Fabrizio Romano. The wide man is reportedly attacting interest from a number of clubs in both the Premier League and abroad, and as such, the Black Cats are eager to tie him down to a new agreement to fend of mounting interest.
Writing on X, Romano said: “Sunderland prepared their new deal proposal for Romaine Mundle, set to arrive to the player soon. Mundle has interest from clubs in Europe and in Premier League too.”
One of the clubs linked with Mundle of late are Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven, and in an interesting development, the Eredivisie side have just parted company with key attacker Johan Bakayoko, who has left the club to sign for RB Leipzig. Initial reports had suggested that PSV were eyeing Mundle as a possible replacement for the Belgian.