ALS ROUNDUP

After a red-hot start to the window, the news went a biut quiet for a few days. Now though, there are a few enticing rumours which certainly catch the eye.

GRANIT XHAKA

Firstly, Sunderland are reportedly in talks to bring Granit Xhaka back to the Premier League in a deal worth just less that £10m. Xhaka, who left Arsenal for Bayer Leverkusen in 2023, has three years left on his contract over in Germany but at 32 may be expected to leave the club this summer. He won the Bundesliga two years ago under Xabi Alonso and, with seven years of experience at Arsenal, would bring some real quality and leadership into Sunderland's dressing room. Initially it was said that Saudi club NEOM were also pursuing the Swiss international's signature but it has since emerged that they may targed Frenchman Corentin Tolisso. The name NEOM may be familiar to you because earlier in the window they swooped in to steal goalkeeper Marcin Bulka from under our noses.

BILAL EL KHANNOUSS

It was reported by Sky Sports yesterday that Sunderland are "keen" on Leicester City midfielder Bilal El Khannouss. We have supposedly had a long-standing interest in the Moroccan international but are not actively negotiating a deal at this time. However, with Nottingham Forest potentially losing Morgan Gibbs-White to Tottenham, Forest could target El Khannouss as a creative replacement. The threat of competition from a now-established Premier League club could force Sunderland's hand into making an offer for the player. At 21 years old, Bilal is said to be valued at £21m but with Leicester suffering relegation and experiencing financial trouble, they could be tempted to sell for a cut-price fee.

JHON LUCUMÍ

This one's a fast-moving situation. While Sunderland have already upgraded their midfield and wing posititions, there is clearly work still to be done in order to make the defence strong enough for a Premier League season. It had intially been said that we made Bologna centre back Jhon Lucumi a target for this summer and Fabrizio Romano reported that contact had already been made with the Italian club. The Colombian international did have a £28m release clause which is now said to have expired, with Sunderland expected to negotiate a price below that level. Bologna supposedly value the defender at around £18.5m. However, the latest news this moring seems to suggest that the deal has hit a roadblock. 27-year-old Lucumi has reportedly turned down both Sunderland and Bournemouth, citing an ambition to play in the Champions League. With Luke O’Nien, Aji Alese, Dennis Cirkin and Leo Hjelde all set to miss the start of the Premier League campaign, Lumuci is seen as a player who would slot into the left side of Regis Le Bris' backline having played regularly in Serie A for three seasons.