Sunderland Transfer Latest: Black Cats closing in on Senegalese midfielder

National World - LocalTV

Daniel Wales looks at the latest Sunderland transfer news.

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00:00Now it's going to be an interesting season for Sunderland

00:04as they returned to the top flight.

00:06Obviously, massive, massive admission in terms of Joe Bellingham

00:11going to Borussia Dortmund following Jude Bellingham steps,

00:14obviously his brother.

00:15But Sunderland fans were probably banking on Benningham

00:18being part of their Premier League plans

00:20with the talent he's shown and the incredible form he's shown as well.

00:24But he decided to move on and head to Germany's first tier,

00:27which is quite a strange decision in my opinion.

00:30I thought maybe it would have been good for him

00:32to experience some sort of football in the Premier League.

00:35However, that's the decision he's made.

00:37And £31 million or so is something that Sunderland didn't turn down.

00:42They've obviously forked out a club record for Javi Diara as well

00:45from Strokesberg for £30 million as well.

00:49So there are business coming in, business going out of Sunderland at the moment.

00:54But they need to make sure that they are breaking the mould

00:57and remaining in the top flights.

00:59So it's obviously going to be a bit of a big season,

01:01a bit of a turnaround at the Stadium of Light.

01:06And, you know, they obviously start their season at home to West Ham as well

01:09on that opening day.

01:11So, you know, massive, massive chance there to get up three home points as well.

01:15Massive, massive chance to start the season as they mean to go on.

01:19Dan, our North East correspondent,

01:20Dan, what are your thoughts on Sunderland's transfer situation so far?

01:24How they're looking ahead to this Premier League campaign?

01:28Because it's certainly going to be a memorable one,

01:30hopefully, for all the right reasons.

01:33Well, Charles, there's no denying that it's going to be a difficult campaign for Sunderland.

01:36The step up from the Championship to the Premier League is widening each year.

01:40And I think even the most optimistic of Sunderland supporters will recognise

01:44that it's not going to be easy for Sunderland.

01:47But they are certainly throwing their weight about in the transfer market so far.

01:51Yes, they have lost Tommy Watson to Brighton.

01:54Of course, him signing on a pre-contract to the South Coast Club.

01:56And then, funnily enough, being the one who scored the goal

01:59to send Sunderland back to the Premier League.

02:02And, of course, they've also lost Joe Bellingham to Borussia Dortmund,

02:05with him following in the footsteps of his older brother Jude in going to Dortmund.

02:09And that fee was around £30 million.

02:11And they're already reinvesting that now in Habib Diara, the Senegalese midfielder.

02:16He scored against England in a recent friendly at the city ground in Nottingham.

02:20There are also in advance talks to sign Ranildo Mandava from Atletico Madrid.

02:25Now, that's an interesting one because he is a full-back, but he's in his 30s.

02:29And so, not really in keeping with the model that Sunderland have

02:32in terms of their player recruitment under Christian Speakman.

02:35But you could argue that Sunderland have to be adaptable

02:38in the Premier League and they will need some experience

02:41of top-flight football.

02:43And, of course, him having played at Atletico Madrid,

02:45that is top-flight Spanish football.

02:47So, he will certainly bring in some experience to Sunderland

02:52and some know-how at this level of football.

02:56And, to be fair to Christian Speakman, he also did say

02:59that Sunderland perhaps will have to be adaptable

03:03and find different ways of coming to terms with the fact

03:06that they are in the Premier League in terms of their recruitment

03:08and who they bring in.

03:09And, certainly, it won't be the complete model

03:12that they've relied on so much in the Championship.

03:14And they may have to alter that just because of the challenges

03:16that the Premier League will bring.

03:19That is all in terms of who's right on the verge of joining Sunderland

03:22at the moment in terms of their outgoings.

03:24They've also brought in Enzo Le Fay on a permanent deal from Roma.

03:27But, of course, Le Fay did play at Sunderland all of, well,

03:31half of last season, I should say, from Roma.

03:34He was on loan, made an impact.

03:36Sunderland fans have taken to him very well

03:38and now he's signed on a permanent

03:39because, of course, he had that promotion clause in his loan deal

03:43that said if Sunderland do get promotion,

03:45he will stay permanently at the Stadium of Lights.

03:47And, of course, that happened.

03:48So, now that is the case.

03:50Of course, as well, Sunderland probably will want maybe to add

03:53some more defensive cover, you could argue.

03:56Obviously, they've got Dan Ballard,

03:58but Chris Mepham has now gone back to his parent club in Bournemouth.

04:02So, you've got Luka 9, yes,

04:04but you probably want another centre-half, you'd imagine, as well.

04:07They're also in talks, or looking at least,

04:10at different goalkeepers as well,

04:12which seems a bit of a shame to Anthony Patterson

04:13because, of course, he did so well last season at Sunderland

04:17and performed brilliantly well in the play-off final.

04:19But Sunderland clearly wanted to bolster that position as well.

04:22And then they had more goals.

04:23That's an interesting one.

04:24Mayenda and Isidore, they were good players last year,

04:28but can they make the step up to the Championship?

04:29That sort of remains to be seen a little bit.

04:32But, regardless, it's going to be an interesting year for Sunderland

04:35to see how they get on.

04:37But I think a lot of supporters will just be enjoying the fact

04:40that they are, once again, in the top flight.

04:42ást, you know, instead of Luka 9, yeah,

04:45it's going to be a big fan of St-Sunderland.

04:48Thank you, Paul.

04:49And I think a lot of Jose and Ferrer has been fighting for a big

04:50way

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