Sunderland set to re-ignite Leicester City transfer interest for £14m player | OneFootball

The Black Cats are readying a move for one of the Championship's star attackers

Sunderland are preparing to make an offer to sign Ghanaian attacker Abdul Fatawu from Leicester City this month.

According to Football Insider, the Black Cats are keen on the winger as they look to bolster their attacking options even further ahead of the February 2 deadline.

The 21-year-old joined the Foxes in the 2023 summer transfer window, arriving from Sporting Clube de Portugal on an initial loan before signing permanently in a deal worth £14 million.

The Ghana international has proven a key part of Martí Cifuentes’ first team squad this season, contributing five goals and seven assists from 26 Championship appearances, in what has been so far an indifferent campaign for the East Midlands outfit.

Fatawu has a contract with Leicester until the summer of 2029, but financial issues at the club could prevent them from having a strong negotiating position this month if clubs make their moves.

Sunderland eye Abdul Fatawu deal with financially struggling Leicester City

Sunderland are reportedly readying a transfer bid to Leicester for Fatawu, as they seek mid-season reinforcements to try and make their Premier League return even better than it already has been.

It’s believed that they face potential competition from Bournemouth, who are now without Antoine Semenyo after his big-money move to Manchester City earlier in the month.

The Black Cats are understood to have held a long-term interest in the 21-year-old, having reportedly bid £28 million for him last summer, and could now strike in the winter market.

It is unclear what kind of asking price Leicester have set for the player, as they seek promotion back to the Premier League this campaign, but they are in somewhat of a financial struggle and are offloading individuals who mainly aren't in Marti Cifuentes' plans, with Wout Faes securing an exit this week to AS Monaco.

Fatawu will be crucial to City's top six push given his attacking contributions so far this term, so it will need to be a strong offer from Sunderland in order to tempt the Foxes.

Cifuentes’ side are currently 12th in the Championship table, four points adrift of sixth-placed Watford, but having played one fixture more than some of their rivals.

Sunderland will need a big money offer to tempt Leicester into Abdul Fatawu sale

Sunderland have enjoyed a very strong return to life in the Premier League this season, and they are even in contention for European qualification thanks to their summer transfer business.

If they want to maintain their strong form, then reinforcing their attacking options with someone like Fatawu could prove a very smart move, as he has performed well this season and he is still only 21.

The winger also already has Premier League experience, and is one of thise players that is perhaps too good for the Championship, yet is not entirely proven at top flight level, so there is somewhat of an unknown quantity still about the Ghanaian.

Regis Le Bris' current right-wing options of Bertrand Traore and Chemsdine Talbi are solid enough, but Fatawu could offer something entirely different, should he arrive at the Stadium of Light.

An offer being tabled for Fatawu would certainly give Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha some food for thought, given the fact that Leicester are obviously struggling with their finances given their lack of permanent transfer activity this season, but the left-footed attacker surely can't be sold if the Foxes have any promotion ambitions.