Sunderland have made an excellent start to their long-awaited return to the Premier League, and there are already plans to build on this with reinforcements when the January transfer window reopens. Defense is an area that can be worked on with Regis Le Bris’ team, and they are currently working on one particular deal.
During the summer, Sunderland made a move for John Lucumi, but Bologna blocked the deal as they were unable to find a replacement. However, despite this refusal, club officials remain undaunted and have made it clear that they hope to cross the line in January. And as it stands, there is a good chance this will happen.
Sunderland offer contract to John Rukumi
According to Corriere di Bologna (via FootballFanCast), Lucumi has been offered a contract by Sunderland, said to be worth £2.6m per season. The player’s agent has asked his client to accept the move, which could lead to a move at club level.
Sunderland hope to sign Lukumi in January and still have an offer of £26 million left. Bologna have yet to respond, but if the player is given the green light, a positive response could come within the next few weeks.
Sunderland already have the likes of Nordi Mukiele, Omar Alderete and Dan Ballard as centre-back options, but Lukumi would be an upgrade. Maintaining a strong defense from now until the end of the season will be crucial to avoiding relegation, so a top-level contract makes sense.
For now, it remains to be seen how Rukumi’s situation will turn out. He is currently focused on Bologna, but could start thinking about life at Sunderland as January approaches.