Sunderland eyeing “magnificent” £14m star

Regis Le Bris certainly loves raiding his native homeland of France for some gems to add to his ever-expanding Sunderland camp.

Indeed, Lorient-born ace Enzo Le Fee was the first major statement purchase on Le Bris’ end when calling back to his birthplace.

It’s safe to say the midfielder made an instant impact on Wearside, registering an amazing assist against Middlesbrough and then scoring against Luton within his first few months at the club.

Now, Le Bris seems intent on exploring the French market once again.

Sunderland eyeing £14m star after Diarra

Habib Diarra will be the next to join in a similar vein, having been a top performer in Ligue 1 for some time now, which was the Black Cats’ manager’s old stomping ground before the Stadium of Light came calling.

Diarra will allegedly cost a club record £30m to obtain but that won’t stop Sunderland in their tracks when it comes to adding even more diamonds who have recently called the French top division home.

As per a report from Italian outlet Corriere Dello Sport, which has been relayed by, Roker Report, Sunderland are keen on adding AFC Bournemouth outcast Hamed Traore to their growing ranks this summer.

It’s stated that Fiorentina, Parma, Sassuolo, and Marseille are all interested in snapping up the £14m-rated attacker alongside Le Bris’ men, with this frenzied interest coming about off the back of Traore setting Ligue 1 alight last season out on loan at Auxerre.

Still, despite coming into his own in France, The Cherries are adamant they want to get rid, with it being stated that the South Coast outfit are undergoing a squad refresh.

Subsequently, Sunderland could be about to pick up another gem who was a standout performer in Ligue 1 last season, with Traore and Diarra as a duo giving the Black Cats lots of quality ahead of their voyage up a division.

Why Traore would be great alongside Diarra

Traore had shown in flashes for Bournemouth that he can also handle the tricky terrain of the Premier League, before tumbling down the pecking order, with a single goal coming his way from 13 Cherries appearances.

He will hope he can kick on and add even more goals to his slim top-flight collection if Sunderland do come calling, with the Ivorian showing off his obvious class in Ligue 1 last season for Auxerre, bouncing back having initially struggled on the south coast.

In total, Traore fired home a mightily impressive ten goals and picked up two assists across 26 Auxerre appearances, with his ability to play all across the forward positions as a left or right winger, alongside being capable as a number 10, making him an even better pick-up for Le Bris.

Diarra can offer the same eye for a goal and assist that Traore possesses, but from a more central place on the pitch, whether that be as a number 10 or as a more defensive anchor, with the pair together perhaps forming a healthy working relationship in both making the jump to move to Wearside shortly.

The similarities don’t just end at their comparable levels of electric output, however, with Diarra and Traore both willing to battle for their team’s cause too, notably winning a high number of duels.

This would make them very valuable members of Le Bris’ relegation-threatened squad, with the “magnificent” attacker – as he’s been glowingly labelled by scout Jacek Kulig – ready for a chance to prove himself in the Premier League again, after exploding into life on French soil.

With Diarra also being hailed as a “complete midfielder” by analyst Ben Mattinson, these are two buys that could well see Sunderland stay afloat next season, with more signings past these two surely expected as the Black Cats continue to conduct their business at a blistering pace.

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