Diarra, a 21-year-old Senegal international, has signed a five-year contract at the Stadium of Light and arrives on Wearside to help replace Jobe Bellingham, who left for Borussia Dortmund last month.
Sunderland have paid an initial fee of around €31.5m for Diarra, with a further €4m of add-ons also understood to have been agreed with Strasbourg officials. The deal makes Diarra the Black Cats’ all-time record signing ahead of Enzo Le Fee, who completed a permanent switch from Roma earlier this summer.
“I’m happy and excited to become a Black Cat and I can’t wait to discover the Stadium of Light and its fans,” said 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.”
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Diarra left his native Senegal as a youngster to join the youth ranks of French club Mulhouse, before moving on to Strasbourg, where he signed his first professional contract in the summer of 2021 at the age of 17.
He made his senior debut the following October, and has gone on to make 99 appearances for Strasbourg, scoring ten goals.
He was a key player in the Strasbourg side that finished seventh in Ligue 1 last season, captaining the side under English boss Liam Rosenior.
He has won 11 senior caps for the Senegalese national team, and scored his nation’s second goal in last month’s historic 3-1 friendly win over England at the City Ground.
He has been granted an extended summer break in the wake of his international exertions, and will join up with his new team-mates later this month.
“Habib is an exciting talent, and we are delighted to welcome him to Sunderland AFC,” said Black Cats sporting director Kristjaan Speakman.
“At 21, he already has more than 100 senior appearances on his resume, and he’s been a captain in one of Europe’s elite leagues.
“This underlines his undoubted quality and immense potential, and it reflects our progress and ambition that we have secured a player of his calibre.
“Like Sunderland, Habib is ready for the Premier League, and we look forward to taking this exciting step with him.”
Strasbourg president Marc Keller added: “We are proud to have supported Habib, from his first steps at the academy to his captaincy in Ligue 1.
“Beyond the player, he is a humble and endearing young man whom we have seen grow and flourish within the club.
“Habib is a child of the club and seeing him wear the captain’s armband this season brought us a lot of emotion.
“Habib also embodies the success of our training model – his career is a strong symbol for our club, for our young people and for our region.
