Sunderland ‘close to agreement’ for Geoffrey Kondogbia as Jhon Lucumi ‘ready for new challenge’ | OneFootball

MediaFoot reports that Sunderland are ‘close to an agreement’ to sign Marseille midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia, with the club looking to add experience in midfield this summer.

The Black Cats are gearing up for a key window after their historic Europa League qualification, intent on strengthening Regis Le Bris’ squad for a busier campaign.

Earlier this month, Le Bris said it was vital to build on existing foundations, target two, three or four additions to the starting XI, and deepen the core to around 16 first-team players.

Marseille are open to moving on higher earners, and the 33-year-old Kondogbia is said to fit Le Bris’ requirements as he plans for European competition beginning in August.

Sunderland also tried to sign Bologna defender Jhon Lucumi last summer. The Colombia international now enters the final year of his deal amid speculation over his future after Bologna missed out on Europe.

“Obviously, there’s a bit of disappointment, because since he’s been at Bologna, the team has consistently achieved important goals. Personally, though, I think he’s continued to grow, and I think this has been especially evident in the final games of the season. Bologna is his home. As we know, there were already some significant opportunities last year, but ultimately no agreement was reached. I believe the boy is now ready for a new challenge, so we’ll carefully analyse the market and see if the conditions are right for everyone this summer.”

He told Tuttomercatoweb.

Source: Sunderland Echo