The Black Cats’ overhaul of the squad that won promotion to the Premier League last season remains ongoing, with attention now being focused on strengthening the defence.
Left-back Reinildo Mandava is currently the only defender to have arrived at the Stadium of Light this summer, but with Chris Mepham having left at the end of last season’s loan deal, there is an acknowledgment that Sunderland remain light at centre-half.
The club have considered a number of options this summer, but have always regarded 27-year-old Lucumi as their preferred target.
There has been an ongoing dialogue with Bologna officials for a number of weeks, and more formal talks are understood to have taken place in the last few days.
However, while the discussions are believed to have been productive, an agreement over a fee is not yet in place.
Sunderland are understood to be willing to put together a package worth around €20m for Lucumi, a Colombia international who joined Bologna from Belgian club Genk in the summer of 2022.
The Bologna hierarchy are reportedly holding out for a minimum of €25m, although there is likely to be a degree of flexibility over how a deal for that sum is structured.
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Further talks are planned, with the Italian media suggesting that Bologna are already investigating potential replacements for Lucumi, who has made 109 senior appearances for the Serie A side. Bologna reportedly sent a senior scouting delegation to Belgium this week to watch Union Saint-Gilloise’s Fedde Leysen at first hand.
Lucumi has turned down the offer of a contract extension with Bologna, and appears to be keen to move to England in order to test himself in the Premier League. Bournemouth have also been credited with an interest in acquiring his services, but Sunderland are currently understood to be the only English club in active discussions with Bologna officials.
Meanwhile, Sassuolo chief executive, Giovanni Carnevali, has been discussing the events that led to the collapse of Armand Lauriente’s proposed move to Sunderland.
The Black Cats agreed a £17.5m fee for Lauriente, and the winger flew to Sunderland’s training base on the Algarve last weekend in order to complete a move.
However, talks broke down, forcing Sunderland’s ownership group to walk away from discussions, and Carnevali has suggested that issues with Lauriente’s representatives were at the heart of the collapse of the deal.
“There are difficulties in this market,” said the Sassuolo chief. “There are many, not in the choices and objectives, but in the negotiations.
“As a football system, we deal with many agents, especially foreign ones. Maybe you close a deal with a club, and then have to buy the player from the agent. That’s not good for football.
“His [Lauriente] sale could have been important for investment, but this won’t jeopardise our objectives and so we’ll continue what we’re doing.”