Sunderland on verge of signing Chelsea player in €25m deal

All three clubs promoted from the Championship will want to get their seasons off to the best possible start as they hope to end the trend of promoted sides being immediately relegated from the Premier League.

Players will need to be brought in, both to raise the quality of the starting eleven and to provide a more rounded squad capable of a season at the highest level. Sunderland haven’t been wasting any time with a series of impressive deals done already.

Today alone there’s various reports across Europe about the club being in the final stages of completing deals for multiple players.

Now they’re looking elsewhere in the Premier League, with Sacha Tavolieri reporting the Black Cats are close to finalising a deal for a Chelsea player.

The man involved is Đorđe Petrović, and it’s thought Sunderland will pay around €25m for the goalkeeper, and then secure him to a five year deal.

Having made approaches for multiple goalkeepers this summer, it looks like Petrović is the one for Sunderland.

‘Here we go!’ – Fabrizio Romano confirms £17m Sunderland deal for Leeds United target after Habib Diarra

Sunderland confirmed a club record £30m deal for RC Strasbourg midfielder Habib Diarra earlier this week, with the 21-year-old signing a five-year deal at the Stadium of Light amid interest from Leeds. Elland Road chiefs tabled an offer believed to be worth £22m but did not return with an improved number as Stadium of Light chiefs went significantly higher.

Leeds aren’t thought to have tabled any such offer for Royale Union Saint-Gilloise youngster Sadiki, despite reports suggesting as much, but the YEP understands he was on their list of midfield targets. The 20-year-old now appears set to join Diarra at Sunderland, however, with Fabrizio Romano reporting on a deal.

In a post on X, Romano claims Sunderland and USG have agreed an initial fee of €17m (£14.7m), plus a further €3m (£2.6m) add-ons, for Sadiki, who underwent medical tests with the Black Cats on Wednesday morning. The energetic midfielder is set to sign a five-year contract at the Stadium of Light with official confirmation expected to follow.

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News of the DR Congo international’s move to Sunderland presents another potential blow for Leeds, who have other midfield targets but have now seen two potential options join a likely Premier League relegation rival. Elland road chiefs weren’t willing to pay £30m for Diarra and it remains to be seen where they’d have valued Sadiki, but both were liked enough for recruitment chiefs to have them on a shortlist.

The Black Cats have also activated a permanent option for last season’s on-loan attacking midfielder Enzo Le Fee, with club chiefs clearly backing manager Regis Le Bris ahead of their Premier League return. Free agent left-back Reinildo Mandava is also thought to be on their radar, having left Atletico Madrid following their Club World Cup exit.

Leeds United midfield transfer latest after Noah Sadiki blow

Leeds will now have to turn attention elsewhere in their search for midfield reinforcements, with a fresh target emerging this week. The YEP exclusively reported on interest in Hoffenheim’s 26-year-old German international Anton Stach, although like Diarra and Sadiki the club expect competition for his signature.