Mooted Sunderland transfer target Duje Caleta-Car is “on the verge” of completing a move to La Liga outfit Real Sociedad, according to reports.
The centre-back was linked with a move to the Stadium of Light earlier in the summer window, with French outlet FootMercato stating that he had been made available for an exit by current club Olympique Lyonnais. Alongside the Black Cats, a number of Turkish top flight sides were also credited with an interest in the Croatian international.
Caleta-Car has previously played in the Premier League, having spent a solitary campaign with Southampton, but suffered an immediate relegation from the top flight, and subsequently left St. Mary’s to sign for Lyon. The 28-year-old has also enjoyed stints with the likes of Marseille and RB Salzburg, amongst others.
what has been said about Duje Caleta-Car’s next move amid Sunderland transfer links?
According to transfer insider Fabrizio Romano, Caleta-Car is rapidly closing on an agreement that will take him to Spain, where he will link up with Real Sociedad. The Croatian’s switch will be comprised of an initial loan, during which his salary will be fully covered by his new club, with the option of a £2.6 million permanent agreement attached. Romano goes on to reiterate that the clause is not mandatory on Sociedad’s part.
Which other defensive transfer targets have been linked with Sunderland recently?
While speculation involving Caleta-Car had faded somewhat in recent weeks, there are a number of other apparent central defensive targets who have been linked with Sunderland of late.
Chief amongst them is Jhon Lucumi, who is currently on the books at Bologna, and who is valued at upwards of £21.7 million. Elsewhere, LOSC Lille talent Bafode Diakite has been touted as an option, although it is understood that he could cost considerably more than Lucumi, while Sevilla star Loic Bade is also said to be on the Black Cats’ radar.
More recently, still, reports from Italian outlet TuttoMercatoWeb suggest that Sunderland are monitoring Pietro Comuzzo, a 20-year-old centre-back who made 37 appearances for Fiorentina last season. Manchester United and Nottingham Forest are also watching the Italian defender, but no official bids have been made at the time of writing.
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Kristjaan Speakman confirms Sunderland’s transfer plans for the rest of the transfer window
Speaking to Sky Sports recently, Sunderland sporting director Kristjaan Speakman confirmed that the club were still looking to make several additions to their squad. He said: “We’ve still got several more players that we need to acquire in certain areas of the pitch.
“I’ll leave that a little bit loose for you but we have to try to find the right players. We’ve never been knee-jerk in our decision making. We’ll try to be calm, but it’s the balance of being calm, waiting and trying to find [players]. Also knowing that you’ve got the right ones and being decisive.
“Momentum is important. We want to make sure we can start well. We knew that we had three or four players that we felt were the right ones and we’ve tried to do them. I think that just shows the ambition of the ownership and the direction of the club.”
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