Sunderland are now reportedly part of a seven-club battle to sign a huge young talent this summer, with six other English clubs also in the mix to snap him up.
Sunderland agree move for Xhaka
The Black Cats are edging closer to their return to the Premier League, with their opening clash at home to West Ham now less than three weeks away, arriving on August 16th.
Regis Le Bris is still eyeing important summer transfer business for Sunderland, with more quality required within his squad, and Granit Xhaka is now on the verge of joining from Bayer Leverkusen, according to Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie. The Swiss will join on a three-year deal, arriving for an initial fee of £13m, with a total of £4.3m in add-ons for the former Arsenal midfielder.
Meanwhile, the Black Cats are also thought to be pushing to sign Galatasaray forward Nicolo Zaniolo, with the Italian earning some Premier League experience on loan at Aston Villa in the past.
New attacking signings appear to be the order of the day for Sunderland after Xhaka is signed, and now a young player with a potentially big future ahead of him has been linked with a switch to the Stadium of Light.
According to a fresh claim from Football Insider, Sunderland have “enquired” about the availability of young Metz striker Idrissa Gueye, who is valued at £17m by his current club.
The Black Cats are far from the only club in the race to bring in the 18-year-old, however, with Liverpool, West Ham, Crystal Palace, Brighton, Southampton and Ipswich Town all mentioned as potential suitors.
Gueye is described as “one of the hottest properties in Europe” in the report, so Sunderland beating the other six clubs to his signature, among others dotted around Europe, would be a real statement of intent by the Premier League newcomers.
The Metz ace has already scored five goals in 20 appearances for the French outfit at senior level, not to mention already winning one cap for Senegal at international level at a tender age.
Gueye wouldn’t necessarily arrive at Sunderland as a more polished attacking player like Zaniolo, but he would be seen as a footballer with a high ceiling who could grow into something special over time.
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The Black Cats have included a buy-back clause.
Admittedly, £17m is a lot to pay for a player who is still only 18 years of age, but if the Black Cats see him as someone who can become a superstar at the Stadium of Light eventually, he could be worth every penny.
