Sunderland eye £39m duo as Lutsharel Geertruida route narrows, Hull City ‘to weigh up’ Dan Neil | OneFootball

Sunderland are being linked with two overseas targets as fresh updates surface on Lutsharel Geertruida and Dan Neil, with Florent Ghisolfi preparing for a busy summer. The Black Cats are expected to strengthen Régis Le Bris’ squad for Premier League and Europa League demands.

Kerim Alajbegovic, the Bayer Leverkusen winger, is of interest and Roma have renewed contacts, Italian reports say, following Gian Piero Gasperini’s approval. Leverkusen have activated a buy-back after the 18-year-old’s strong season with Salzburg and Bosnia’s youth sides. His fee is put at around €30m, about £25.9m, and he is said to be tempted by working under Gasperini.

Sunderland are also among clubs to have enquired about Grêmio defender Viery, with Roma, Tottenham, Newcastle and Brighton also monitoring, according to Brazilian reports. Grêmio want more than €15m, roughly £13m, and prefer a sell-on element, while Fiorentina and Juventus have already seen approaches rejected. Viery has made 27 appearances and scored twice this season, and can play centre-back or left-back.

De Telegraaf reports that Geertruida would have considered a return to Feyenoord if Robin van Persie had stayed as manager, but that route now appears less likely. The RB Leipzig defender’s season-long loan at Sunderland has ended and his future remains unresolved.

Oxford United, Wigan and York are said to be competing to sign Sunderland defender Zak Johnson. He impressed on loan at York last season and helped them win promotion from the National League.

TEAMtalk says Hull City are weighing up a move for former Sunderland captain Dan Neil, with Rangers in active talks and hopeful of a deal. Hull could yet enter the race and frustrate Middlesbrough and Rangers. Neil’s expected exit remains a major storyline after he captained Sunderland back to the top flight, and his future appears likely to lie away from the Stadium of Light.

Source: Sunderland Echo