Sunderland have now made an opening move to sign a Euro 2024 “icon” after confirming the signing of Habib Diarra, according to a new report.
Habib Diarra “happy and excited” to join Sunderland
The Black Cats completed their second signing of the summer transfer window on Tuesday, as Diarra joined the club in a reported record deal worth £30 million. The young midfielder arrives from French side Strasbourg, where he excelled under Liam Rosenior during the 2024/25 campaign.
Diarra’s arrival at the Stadium of Light is seen as a replacement for Jobe Bellingham, who left the club earlier in this window to join Borussia Dortmund, following in the same footsteps as his older brother. After penning a five-year contract at Sunderland, the 21-year-old guaranteed that “he will give everything for this team and fight for the colours in the Premier League.”
Diarra said, via BBC Sport: “I’m happy and excited to become a Black Cat and I can’t wait to discover the Stadium of Light and its fans.
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Bigger talent than Diarra: Sunderland enquire over “crazy” £21m star
Sunderland have now enquired about landing a star who could be an even bigger talent than Habib Diarra.
“Everyone saw last season’s success and I guarantee that I’ll give everything for this team and fight for these colours in the Premier League. I’m ready for this challenge and I can’t wait to get started.”
Sunderland make approach to sign £21m Euro 2024 ace
As the Black Cats complete a deal for Diarra, according to Tutto Juve, relayed by Sport Witness, Sunderland have now made an approach to sign striker Georges Mikautadze from French side Olympique Lyon.
This report states that after an impressive campaign with Lyon, where he scored 11 goals in 34 Ligue 1 games, Sunderland have made the forward a priority signing, but do face competition from teams such as Juventus, Eintracht Frankfurt, as well as clubs from Turkey and Saudi Arabia.
The Black Cats see the 24-year-old, who has been dubbed a “true icon” by scout Jacek Kulig, as an ideal player for Regis Le Bris’ system. Despite the interest from big teams across Europe, Sunderland are said to have an advantage in the race and that is Le Bris and his ambitious project at the Stadium of Light.
Earlier this week it was reported by TEAMtalk, that Nottingham Forest were also among the teams chasing the striker, as they look to take advantage of Lyon’s current financial situation which has seen them relegated to Ligue 2. It was claimed that Lyon are open to offers for Mikautadze, as long as they receive a fee of €25 million, which is roughly £21.4 million.
Sunderland do already have Wilson Isidor and Eliezer Mayenda as options for the forward line, but adding a player such as Mikautadze, who was the Euro 2024 top scorer for Georgia, would bring European experience to Sunderland’s front line and a player who knows how to find the back of the net.
