Sunderland Transfer Latest: Diarra becomes marquee signing but more incomings expected

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Daniel Wales looks at the latest Sunderland transfer news.

Transcript

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 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.

01:32Well, Charles, the wheels are now certainly starting to be in motion

01:36for Sunderland in this transfer window.

01:39They, of course, have already completed the signing of Senegalese midfielder,

01:42Habib Diara, for around £30 million,

01:45smashing their transfer record payment fee.

01:48And, of course, that was basically just the money that they recouped

01:51from selling Joe Bellingham.

01:52So they've immediately addressed that situation

01:54by getting something of a like-for-like player.

01:57Of course, they're still looking to bring in Ronaldo Mandava

02:01from Atletico Madrid upon the end of his contract

02:05at the Spanish side as well.

02:07He's a 31-year-old full-back.

02:09So going against the model a little bit there

02:12by bringing in someone a lot older.

02:13But I think Sunderland perhaps are wanting a bit of experience

02:16for the Premier League.

02:18And, of course, what does that suggest

02:19about Sunderland's current full-back situation?

02:21Dennis Sirkin, for example.

02:22You know, he's, of course, someone who's been through with Sunderland

02:27all the way from League One to the Premier League now.

02:29But, well, his opportunity needs to be limited

02:30because of this potential new signing.

02:33And, as well, they are on the verge of completing a deal

02:37for Noah Siddiqui as well.

02:39So Sunderland's certainly getting things going as well.

02:43And, obviously, they had to because anyone could have probably made clear

02:47that Sunderland's squad upon their promotion

02:49was not equipped well enough to cope with the Premier League

02:53and its quality.

02:55But they knew that and they're starting to address that as well.

02:58Of course, Diarra looks to be, at this moment in time,

03:01the marquee signing of the lot for around £30 million.

03:04But, of course, you need experience in there.

03:06And that's something Sunderland don't really have as well.

03:09They don't really have that older type of player

03:11who's been there, done that in the upper leagues of Europe.

03:14And, clearly, Mandeva or Mandarva certainly is that type of player

03:19who they're wanting to bring in as well.

03:22And, of course, Siddiqui, again, a bit of an unproven quantity

03:25at this level, but perhaps someone who fits more into the model,

03:29at least that's Sunderland are wanting to employ

03:31in terms of bringing in young players

03:33and seeing exactly what they can develop them into.

03:36And then, if they need to sell them for a better fee

03:39than they paid for, then, well, then so be it.

03:42But, certainly, he fits that mould a bit more than, say, Mandarva.

03:48I mean, obviously, Diarra is young as well,

03:51but he's certainly got that experience of top-level football.

03:53He played and scored against England at the City ground

03:56earlier this month for Senegal.

04:00So, clearly showing his credentials as a player

04:02against top-level players as well

04:04at the international level of football.

04:05Yes, it was only a friendly, but, you know,

04:08you still have to be good enough to play in those types of games.

04:12So, Sunderland doing a lot of things as well.

04:14And, of course, they've brought in a new director of football

04:16as well to go alongside the sport director,

04:19that is Christian Speakman.

04:20So, lots of things happening at Sunderland at the moment.

04:23It's just whether it's a case now

04:25of when they do come back for pre-season,

04:26which is the week to come.

04:28Of course, they have friendlies coming very soon as well

04:31against some North-East teams,

04:32including Gateshead and South Shields,

04:34but it's just getting all the new players to jail

04:37because, of course, they've had this core of players

04:39for such a long time now

04:40who have gone with them all the way through from League One.

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