Sunderland were heavily linked with a move for Jhon Lucumí this summer

Sunderland summer transfer target Jhon Lucumí has reportedly reached a “stalemate” in his ongoing contract talks with Bologna, once again raising questions over his long-term future in Italy heading into the January window.

The Colombian was heavily linked with a move to the Stadium of Light over the course of a hectic summer during which the Black Cats brought in 14 fresh faces and spent in excess of £150 million. His current employers refused to sanction an exit, however, forcing the Premier League new boys to focus their attention on other targets.

For their part, Bologna have always insisted that the aim is for Lucumí to put pen to paper on a new deal in Italy. As recently as October, technical director Giovanni Sartori explained: "We are talking to Lucumí about extending his contract and we would be very happy if he was to stay. Whether he would be happy about that, I don’t know, you’d have to ask him. We’ll see him later on and see what he has decided. After having to give up on his Premier League dream in the summer, he got right back on track with great professionalism. I hope we won’t have to do too much on the transfer market in January, considering the squad has so much quality.”

In a more recent interview with Italian publication Tuttomercatoweb, Lucumí’s agent, Simone Rondanini, provided an update of his own, stating: “The coach has never done without him, and Jhon has maintained a level of professionalism that sets him apart. There have been difficult situations, and he’s always wanted to defend the club’s colours. It’s right that [Bologna head coach, Vincenzo] Italiano has taken this attitude into consideration, in my opinion.”

Addressing Lucumí’s future at Bologna, Rondanini added: “Right now, we want to focus on the pitch, both at Bologna and with the national team. Doing well is crucial for his future. He and his family are happy in Bologna, and we’ll make every decision calmly.”

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What is the latest on Jhon Lucumí’s transfer status amid previous Sunderland links?

And now, Tuttomercatoweb have once again weighed in on the subject, suggesting that negotiations over a possible contract extension are not progressing particularly well. Indeed, the Italian outlet claim that talks have reached a “stalemate”, with the ongoing saga labelled one of the “great summer soap operas”.

But despite Lucumí’s unwillingness to pen a new deal, TMW also claim that Bologna could still refuse to sell the centre-back in January. That is because, at the time of writing, the club are just four points from the summit of Serie A, and as such, they are eager to retain as much quality as possible ahead of a sustained push in the second half of the campaign. Their position is also bolstered by the fact that Lucumí’s current contract is not set to expire until 2027, effectively giving them an extra year to play with.

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