Might point being is that in the room we can negotiate. If we had a deal sorted in principle and they tried to change it, we can refuse to budge and convince them to sign for the agreed amount. It would seem weird to me that a player who has agreed everything suddenly refuses to accept the deal. It seems that people are suggesting we're so furious at someone trying to change the deal (which must happen often) that we've pulled the plug and refused to even negotiate. I just can't see it at all.
There’s just a small part of me that worries about the Gallagher deal all those years ago. It’s something we’ve been capable of in the past. So much more high profile now, though. Maybe it’s all accepted that this can happen in the industry, but it’s not a reputation we want to encourage.
Way it’s worded makes it sound like someone’s asked for more money and we won’t have the piss taken. good on us anyway there’s plenty other options
From the echo: The Black Cats had agreed the framework of a £17.5m deal for Lauriente, with the 26-year-old having flown to Portugal yesterday, where Regis Le Bris and his players are currently on a pre-season training camp and drew 1-1 with Sevilla in a friendly last night. It was anticipated that the transfer would be concluded either today or tomorrow, with the bulk of an agreement already in place. However, problems began to emerge yesterday evening, and Sunderland officials have decided to call off talks and end their interest in Lauriente. It is understood that the Sunderland hierarchy were unable to reach a full agreement with all the relevant parties involved in the proposed transfer. As a result, the Black Cats have informed Lauriente, his representatives and officials at Sassuolo that they will not be continuing with their previous transfer plans. The breakdown of the deal is a blow given that Sunderland had focused in on Lauriente after holding preliminary talks with a number of attacking players in the last few weeks. The Black Cats' options in the wide-attacking positions were reduced last week when Romaine Mundle suffered a hamstring injury that has resulted in an operation that means he will miss the start of the new season. However, the Black Cats have a number of alternative attacking options they could now revisit, with Le Bris' side due to return to pre-season action when they face Sporting tomorrow night.
Maybe we’ve been given encouragement in one or two of our cb targets and decided our money is better used there? Good news incoming?
‘Problems appeared yesterday’ stinks of agents fees to me. **** them. Club do right to show folk can’t take the piss. If it is something like that club would do well to leak it ‘just cos we are spending doesn’t mean we are naive or walkovers’ It’s true that a left sided player makes far more sense.
Laurienté's transfer to Sunderland skipped: he returns to Sassuolo Gianluca Di Marzio20 July 2025 Laurienté's transfer from Sassuolo to Sunderland skipped: no agreement found on the contract Armand Laurienté will not become a new Sunderland player and is ready to return to Italy, more precisely to Sassuolo. The striker born in 1998 had already flown to Portugal to join the pre-season training camp of the English club. Now, however, the transfer has been skipped due to problems encountered between the parties on the contractual details on the player's side. Laurienté is therefore preparing to return to Italy having not found the right fit and will join Fabio Grosso's Sassuolo training camp. Laurienté's transfer to Sunderland skipped: he returns to Sassuolo - Gianluca Di Marzio
Put an extra £15m towards the CB targets to push for Diakite and Singo/Lucemi and spend the final £2.5m on a top RW loan for the season (Bobb).
Honestly shocked it's the contract. He's been playing in Serie B last season. What could he be asking that's so ridiculous?! What a daft lad if he's blown his big move by asking too much.