Future Of Sunderland And Tottenham Linked Colombia Star Won’t Be Decided This Month | OneFootball

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The future of Tottenham Hotspur and Sunderland target Jhon Lucumi will ‘hardly be decided’ in June, amid clubs currently showing an unwillingness to trigger his €28m release clause.

The Colombian has been a long-standing target for Regis Le Bris’ Sunderland side, who attempted to bring him to the Stadium of Light in both last summer and winter transfer windows, only for Bologna to keep hold of him on each occasion.

They could go back for him again this summer, having been linked with Lucumi again, but there is competition and Roberto De Zerbi’s Tottenham have been widely credited with interest.

Spurs have signed Marcos Senesi to bolster at the back, but Radu Dragusin could go, while there remain big questions over the future of Cristian Romero.

This summer a departure for Lucumi from the Rossoblu appears to be a far more realistic possibility, with the centre-back himself indicating that discussions with his family will play a key role in determining his next move.

The race is even deepening though, with newly-appointed Besiktas boss Vincenzo Italiano keen to continue working with Lucumi after their time together at Italy.

The feeling is not entirely mutual, however, with the Colombian not viewing a move to the Turkish outfit as an attractive option at this stage.

Competition for his signature continues to grow elsewhere, with Juventus and Roma both linked with the centre-back, while Bournemouth have also emerged as contenders from the Premier League.

According to Italian journalist Mirko Di Natale, Lucumi’s future will ‘hardly be decided’ this month as none of the interested clubs are currently prepared to trigger his €28m release clause.

Bologna are not expected to take an inflexible stance, however, with they willing to discuss a deal in the region of €20m to €22m rather than insisting on the full clause.

The release clause itself remains active until 15th July, meaning there is still time for developments to emerge before the situation reaches a decisive stage.

A move to Sunderland, unlike Tottenham, would hand Lucumi the chance to play in the Europa League next season.

The capital though and a new project under De Zerbi could be a hugely attractive draw for the Colombian.

He could yet even scoop up more suitors in the coming weeks, which would be good news for Bologna as they aim for the maximum price.