Sunderland’s €25m Winger Attracts Ligue 1 Interest: What Should The Black Cats Do? | OneFootball

Simon Adingra has attracted attention in the Principality, and now AS Monaco are reportedly working to keep him beyond his loan spell. According to French outlet Foot Sur 7, the Ligue 1 club have identified converting the Sunderland winger’s temporary deal into a permanent arrangement as a priority ahead of the 2026 summer window.

Sunderland face a crucial summer call over a €25 m winger

Monaco signed Adingra on loan from Sunderland in January alongside Leicester’s Wout Faes, and both players settled quickly. The 24-year-old, in particular, stood out through his attacking versatility, contributing three goals and two assists during his stint at the club. His loan agreement contains an option to sign him permanently for €17m, yet Monaco’s management reportedly considers that figure too steep given current financial conditions.

Rather than exercising the clause outright, the club intend to open negotiations with Sunderland in hopes of reaching a structured payment plan that works for both sides. The complication, however, runs deeper because Transfermarkt currently values Adingra at €25m, a figure Sunderland are unlikely to discount significantly, given they paid €24.4m to Brighton for him last summer. Any deal below €17m would represent a capital loss for the Black Cats.

What should Sunderland realistically do in the summer of 2026?

MILTON KEYNES, ENGLAND – MARCH 28: Simon Adingra of Cote D’Ivore during an international friendly match between South Korea and Ivory Coast on March 28, 2026 in Milton Keynes, England. (Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images)

From Sunderland‘s perspective, the smartest move here is to hold their ground. The club bought Adingra at a high price, and accepting a below-market fee barely a year later would set a damaging precedent, financially and culturally, for a club rebuilding with genuine ambition. Monaco clearly rate him, which means Sunderland hold real advantage in these talks.

A structured deal across two or three years at the full €17m minimum, or ideally closer to his market value, protects the club’s investment without completely blocking a transfer. However, if Monaco refuse reasonable terms, bringing him back and integrating him properly into the first team is not a bad outcome either. Adingra is young, proven at a high level, and is the kind of player Sunderland should be building around. Letting him go cheaply would be the one decision the club could easily regret.