Florent Ghisolfi ‘to step up’ pursuit of Serie A duo as Sunderland eye winger and centre back | OneFootball

Sunderland are accelerating their summer plans, with Florent Ghisolfi assessing bids for two Serie A targets. A new right winger and another centre back are on the agenda.

Corriere dello Sport reports that representatives of AS Roma winger Matías Soulé are in the UK this weekend for talks with Sunderland and Premier League rivals Fulham over a possible move. Soulé is well known to Ghisolfi, who took him to Rome from Juventus, and Roma are open to a sale to strengthen their position under UEFA rules and fund Champions League preparations. The fee is widely reported to be around £30 million for the 23-year-old.

The winger search follows Bertrand Traoré's departure earlier this summer. Sunderland could also step up a move for Sassuolo's Bosnia international Tarik Muharemović with an official bid next week. The chase is complicated by other Premier League interest and Juventus retaining a 50% sell-on clause after selling him to Sassuolo last summer, while Jhon Lucumí is another option as he enters the final year of his Bologna contract.

Caught Offside reports that Arsenal and Liverpool are weighing up a move for former Sunderland loanee Lutsharel Geertruida. His option-to-buy clause is understood to have expired as the 25-year-old considers his next step.

Sunderland would pursue a permanent deal if possible, after his strong finish helped secure Europa League qualification. Ghisolfi has said this window is about quality over quantity, preferring stability and signings that fit Sunderland’s values.

Source: Sunderland Echo