ADINGRA SIGNS

Sunderland have announced the signing of Ivorian international, Simon Adingra, from fellow Premier League outfit, Brighton and Hove Albion on a five year deal. He joins on a reported €21 million fee with add ons.

The 23 year old winger has been a Premier League regular for Brighton, and has represented Ivory Coast on many occasions.

With some fans worrying about our squad during the African Cup Of Nations, Adingra will surely be another one missing for Sunderland during that time. He won the competition in 2023, and set up both goals in a 2-1 victory over Nigeria in the final. This performance helped him scoop up the Young Player Of The Tournament award!

When we sold Tommy Watson to Brighton, it was reported that we were interested in Adingra then, and our patience has paid off after we finally got our man.

Upon signing, Adingra expressed his excitement to be here: “It’s a pleasure to be here, and I cannot wait to get started. The Club and the project are really exciting. I spoke with everyone and their interest in me made the decision easy - I wanted to be part of Sunderland’s future. Playing in the Premier League has been a dream of mine since I was a kid, so to continue doing that is incredible. It’s a big challenge ahead – we’ll be facing top players and strong opponents - but I’m ready for it."

Here's what Kristjann Speakman had to say on the signing: “Our long-standing interest in Simon has been well documented and it’s no secret that we worked hard to bring him to the Club in January, so it’s great to finally see him on Wearside. He’s a quick and direct wide player, who can play on both sides and travels with the ball at speed. He’s got significant Premier League experience, which is important for us as a newly promoted team, and due to our recent connection with him, he already has a strong understanding of Sunderland AFC and our journey. Simon is ready to play his part, and we are excited to see him in our team.”