adminSunderland Eye Bologna Defender Jhon Lucumí Ahead of Premier League Return
Sunderland are preparing an opening bid for Bologna centre-back Jhon Lucumí, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano. The Colombian international has emerged as a key target for the newly promoted club, who are keen to strengthen their backline ahead of their first Premier League campaign in eight years.
Lucumí, 27, is highly rated and has a €28 million release clause in his contract, though that clause is reportedly set to expire soon. Sunderland are expected to attempt a deal outside of that clause, but they face competition—most notably from Serie A side AS Roma, who have also shown strong interest in the defender.
The Colombian has built a solid reputation over the past three seasons in Serie A, playing a central role in Bologna’s success, including their Coppa Italia triumph last season. Prior to his move to Italy, Lucumí enjoyed a successful spell with Belgian side Genk. He also boasts significant international experience with Colombia.
Defensive reinforcements have become a pressing concern for Sunderland. Despite an active start to the summer transfer window that has seen them bring in six new players and break their transfer record, the squad remains light in defence. That issue has been compounded by injuries to Luke O’Nien, Aji Alese, Dennis Cirkin, and Leo Hjelde, all of whom are expected to miss the first three games of the season. Although Reinildo is set to join the squad later this week, head coach Régis Le Bris confirmed after their opening pre-season fixture against South Shields that more defensive signings are a priority.
Lucumí is a familiar name to Sunderland’s new director of football, Florent Ghisolfi, who worked as sporting director at AS Roma last season and will be well aware of the defender’s qualities.
Meanwhile, Sky Sports have backed up reports from L’Equipe that Sunderland are also tracking Leicester City midfielder Bilal El-Khannouss. The 21-year-old is attracting interest from multiple clubs in both the Premier League and across Europe.
Speaking to Sky Sports last week, Sunderland sporting director Kristjaan Speakman emphasized that the club is far from finished in the market.
“We’ve still got several more players that we need to acquire in certain areas of the pitch,” Speakman said. “We try to stay calm and measured in our decisions, making sure we get the right players. It’s about finding balance—being patient but also decisive when opportunities arise.
“Momentum is key. We wanted to get off to a strong start, and securing a few of our key targets early shows the ambition of the ownership and the direction we’re heading in.”
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