Transfer Rumours The Sunderland Links/Transfer Rumours Thread - Summer 2025

Disgraceful that we won’t even try to match it.
We were told they were skinflints and now they’ve proved it.

 

Must be nice!

 

As reported by our colleagues at Foot Mercato – which we can confirm – Mikautadze is currently being pursued by Sunderland, where French sporting director Florent Ghisolfi operates, and who is very keen on his profile. Another English club, Nottingham Forest, is also tracking the former Metz player, who, according to our sources, hopes to find a place in the Premier League or the Bundesliga. In Germany, Frankfurt has made inquiries but must first offload its attack before registering a potential signing in this area.

Lyon can expect to earn between €22 and €25 million for the Georgian international, who, let's remember, was sold for €18.5 million by FC Metz a year ago. The Moselle club is also due to receive training compensation in the deal, as well as a percentage of the capital gain, as was negotiated during this transfer

 

Blackburn Rovers and Portsmouth both keen on Sunderland midfielder Nectar Triantis

Seems his future lies away from #SAFC after Premier League promotion

After Hibs loan, he’d be a great signing for Blackburn…

#SAFC | #Rovers | #Pompey @EFLAnalysis_


The Championship duo and Bundesliga outfit St. Pauli are keen on the midfielder after his stellar campaign on loan away from Sunderland in 2024/25.

With the summer transfer window in full swing, two Championship rivals are fighting with Bundesliga side St. Pauli for a promising Premier League prospect.

 

I'd be very disappointed with £1m for Triantis.

He's tall, athletic and adaptable ...

... not to mention good on the ball.

 

Will include a good sell on clause for us surely? Does seem cheap though.

 

I would give him another loan if anything. Seems strange to offload him without giving him a chance.

 

It could all be guesswork and agents being agents ...

... I'd imagine there are many clubs who'd like someone, with his potential. able to play in the Championship.

I'd rather it wasn't Coventry if he has to go.

 

At £1m I’d be loaning him out rather than looking to sell, a season in the championship or bundesliga would give us more time to see how he develops at a higher level

 

Sunderland AFC is delighted to announce the signing of Habib Diarra from RC Strasbourg.

The 21-year-old midfielder has signed a five-year contract at the Stadium of Light after agreeing personal terms and successfully passing a medical.

Diarra becomes the latest addition to Régis Le Bris’ squad this summer, following the arrival of Enzo Le Fée from AS Roma.

After sealing his Wearside move, he said: “I’m happy and excited to become a Black Cat and I can’t wait to discover the Stadium of Light and its fans. Everyone saw last season’s success and I guarantee that I’ll give everything for this team and fight for these colours in the Premier League. I’m ready for this challenge and I can’t wait to get started.”

The Senegal international captained Strasbourg throughout an immensely successful 2024-25 campaign, which culminated in the Club securing European football for only the second time in 20 years.

Leading the youngest team in Ligue 1, Diarra featured 31 times for Le Racing last term, scoring five times and registering four assists, as he also surpassed 100 senior career appearances.

Sporting Director, Kristjaan Speakman commented: “Habib is an exciting talent, and we are delighted to welcome him to Sunderland AFC. At 21, he already has more than 100 senior appearances on his resume, and he’s been a captain in one of Europe’s elite leagues. This underlines his undoubted quality and immense potential, and it reflects our progress and ambition that we have secured a player of his calibre. Like Sunderland, Habib is ready for the Premier League, and we look forward to taking this exciting step with him.”

Diarra arrived at Strasbourg aged 14 and quickly progressed through the Club’s youth system to make his debut in 2021, aged 17.

He featured for France at youth level, including Les Bleus’ Under-21s, but opted to represent Senegal in 2024 and he has made 11 appearances to date, including a cap against England last month when he scored in a 3-1 win over the Three Lions.

After representing his country following the end of the 2024-25 domestic season, Diarra will take an extended break before linking up with his new team-mates at the Academy of Light later this month.

Habib Diarra signs for Sunderland - Sunderland AFC

 

A wee insight into our two new signings

 

Some canny quotes about Diarra in the Northern Echo

https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/s...op-sunderland-target-replace-jobe-bellingham/

Flavien Trésarrieu, football writer for L'Équipe, says eyebrows have been raised in France at the fee - understood to be around €31.5m - but there's also an acceptance of the potential of the midfielder.

"There are questions he needs to answer - he is still very early in his career," says Trésarrieu. "But he's a good player, a good guy and very respectful. He has a lot of quality to break the lines and is very comfortable travelling with the ball. He's also able to repeat the effort at the same level from match to match. Regis Le Bris is also very strong at developing players and I'm sure he has an eye on Diarra's potential."

"He is one of the more experienced players in a very, very young team," says Trésarrieu. "He won't be captain at Sunderland and he still has a lot to learn, but he is someone who likes to talk. He's a proud guy and very professional."

Diarra was in-demand this summer, with Everton and Leeds United among the Premier League clubs to have shown an interest. He was on Sunderland's radar long before he further enhanced his fast-growing reputation with a goal to cap a fine display for Senegal in the shock win over England at the City Ground in June.

French football expert Joachim Durand told Transfermarkt: “Unlike other young Ligue 1 players who leave very soon after their breakthrough season, Diarra waited. He has already played almost 100 games in Ligue 1. That experience could reduce the time needed for him to adapt to the Premier League, compared to others. I wouldn't say there's one particular quality that stands out in Habib Diarra. But that's precisely because he can do everything. He's a box-to-box midfielder with an array of talents."


Edit - missed this decent bit:

It's not difficult to see why Le Bris was so keen on the idea of Habib Diarra when the Frenchman sat down with the club's recruitment chiefs. Firstly, Diarra is versatile, crucial in the eyes of Le Bris. The 21-year-old is most comfortable playing as a right-sided No.8, but at Strasbourg he's been used as a holding midfielder, a No.10 and is even capable of slotting in to play at right-back or right wing-back.

 

He would be an amazing signing. Lyon desperately need the cash so there's a deal to be done but there'll be so much competition for him.

 

Promotion was probably the worst thing that could have happened for Triantis. I think he would have had a great chance of playing for us next season if we were in the Championship, unfortunately I can't see him make the grade as a PL player.

 

Here we go!

https://x.com/FabrizioRomano/status/1940391245945483753

 

Beat me to it. Another AFCON player, January will test the squad depth.