Sunderland table new €28m bid for Bologna star Jhon Lucumi | OneFootball

Sunderland have submitted an improved offer for Bologna centre-back Jhon Lucumi as they push to secure a late deal before the transfer deadline.

Reports in Italy suggest the newly-promoted Premier League side have tabled a new bid worth €28 million, including a 10% sell-on clause, after seeing an earlier approach rejected.

The fresh offer matches the release clause that was active in Lucumi’s contract earlier this summer, though Bologna are no longer obliged to accept as that clause has expired.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Sunderland remain determined to land the Colombian international, who is their top defensive target.

Lucumi is understood to be keen on a move to England, and his representatives have repeatedly made clear that he wants to take the next step in his career.

The 27-year-old has been with Bologna since 2022, when he arrived from Belgian side Genk for around €8 million.

He has made 94 Serie A appearances and was a key figure in last season’s campaign, which saw the club qualify for the Champions League.

Bologna have so far taken a hardline stance, with CEO Claudio Fenucci recently insisting the timing was not right to sell a player so important to Vincenzo Italiano’s plans.

Fenucci admitted that Premier League offers can be hard to resist but stressed the club could not sanction Lucumi’s departure without a replacement in place.

Lucumi’s agent responded by reiterating that the player had been open to a transfer since the start of the summer and had honoured the club’s request to stay last year.

He urged Bologna to find a ‘balanced and positive solution’ that respected both the player’s ambitions and the club’s needs.

Italian reports have suggested that Bologna would only consider a sale if Sunderland reached the €28 million – €30 million bracket and if a replacement could be signed.

With the latest bid approaching that valuation, Bologna are reportedly considering whether they can identify and secure an alternative before the window closes.

Sunderland’s persistence underlines their ambition to strengthen significantly before the deadline and to back new manager Regis Le Bris with top-level talent.

Lucumi remains their priority target, but the Black Cats may face an anxious wait as Bologna weigh their options in the final days of the market.