Sunderland are in negotiations with Leicester City over a potential deal for midfielder Bilal El Khannouss, according to reports.
The Moroccan was a rare bright spark in an otherwise dour campaign for the Foxes last term, and his form at the King Power Stadium has been enough to attract interest from a host of suitors following the former Premier League champions’ relegation back to the Championship
Any club looking to sign El Khannouss will likely have to pay a notable fee, however, with recent reports suggesting that the 21-year-old has a release clause of around £22.5 million attached to his contract in the Midlands.
What has been said about Sunderland’s transfer interest in Leicester City midfielder Bilal El Khannouss?
Writing on X, Tanzi explained that the Black Cats are in talks with Leicester over the financial details of a prospective deal, with the Premier League new boys keen to drive down his price somewhat.
He said: “Sunderland continues to negotiate with Leicester to lower Bilal El Khannouss’ clause, estimated at €26m [£22.5m], plus 10% on a future resale. Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa are in the race. Monaco is still waiting for a departure before moving forward on an attacking player.”
It has previously been suggested that alongside Sunderland, Forest, and Villa, El Khannouss is also attracting Premier League interest from West Ham and Everton.
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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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