Sunderland make provide to signal midfield “monster”

Sunderland‘s unimaginable qualification for the Europa League of their first season again within the Premier League can largely be attributed to their incredible work within the switch market.

The likes of Granit Xhaka, Nordi Mukiele, Enzo Le Payment, and Brian Brobbey, to call just a few, have been regulars within the workforce below Regis Le Bris, main the membership to a seventh-placed end within the top-flight.

Not all of their signings have labored out completely, although, and one of many gamers who has but to totally persuade on the Stadium of Mild is their document signing, Habib Diarra.

The Senegal worldwide was signed from Strasbourg for a club-record price of £27m final summer season to bolster Le Bris’ choices in the course of the park within the Premier League.

Diarra, although, solely produced two objectives and two assists in 20 appearances within the division, while he misplaced 55% of his floor duels and 54% of his aerial duels in midfield.

Sunderland make contract provide to signal Ligue 1 star

The £27m-rated midfielder’s struggles within the Premier League, regardless of taking part in for a workforce that completed seventh on the ultimate day in opposition to Chelsea, might see the Black Cats flip to the market.

In reality, the Europa League facet are already reportedly pursuing a participant who might arrive on the Stadium of Mild as an improve on Diarra for subsequent season.

In keeping with Media Foot, Sunderland try to signal Marseille defensive midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia within the upcoming summer season switch window.

The report claims that the Black Cats have already made the veteran star a contract provide of £95k-per-week, which is greater than the £86k-per-week that he’s at the moment on in France.

That might reportedly make him the third-highest earner within the squad heading into subsequent season, behind Mukiele (£100k-per-week) and Xhaka (£110k-per-week).

Media Foot provides that Marseille are open to letting the 33-year-old star transfer on from the membership this summer season, however it stays to be seen what sort of switch price will likely be wanted to facilitate a deal.

How Geoffrey Kondogbia could be higher than Habib Diarra for Sunderland

As aforementioned, Diarra has struggled within the Premier League as a result of he has discovered the physicality of the division significantly difficult, dropping the vast majority of his duels on the bottom and within the air.

The previous Strasbourg star ended the 2025/26 marketing campaign with 0.7 tackles and 0.2 interceptions per recreation within the Premier League for Sunderland, which reveals that he hardly ever made contributions out of possession to assist his workforce out.

Hailed as a “monster” by former talkSPORT and Fox Sports activities Information reporter James Dodd, Kondogbia is now getting into the ultimate throes of his skilled profession, solely taking part in ten matches in Ligue 1 for Marseille, but put up much more spectacular defensive numbers than Diarra.

The Central African Republic worldwide would provide significantly extra to Sunderland’s workforce than Diarra, who provided little or no offensively or defensive within the Premier League, primarily based on his kind in France.

Kondogbia is a robust and powerful defensive midfielder who can dominate opposition gamers in duels and persistently make defensive interventions, by way of tackles, interceptions, and duels gained, to disrupt assaults and win possession again for his workforce.

The 33-year-old star additionally showcased his bodily and defensive attributes throughout 25 appearances in Ligue 1 within the 2024/25 marketing campaign, profitable 69% of his floor duels and 63% of his aerial duels.

Kondogbia, who averaged 3.3 tackles and interceptions per recreation that season, just isn’t a midfielder who’s prone to rating and create objectives frequently, however that’s not what he’s in a workforce for.

The Marseille colossus is a defensive-minded midfielder who will present physicality and defensive nous for Sunderland subsequent time period, while Diarra has not proven that he can provide common objectives or assists, or defensive high quality.

Le Bris, subsequently, might enhance his squad within the short-term by bringing Kondogbia in as an excellent higher choice in midfield than Diarra, even whether it is only for subsequent season or the subsequent two years.

On the age of twenty-two, although, the Senegal worldwide has loads of time on his fingers to develop and enhance, and studying from two veterans in Kondogbia and Xhaka might assist him to ultimately get to the extent the place he can carry out persistently within the Premier League.