£85M Shockwave! Sunderland’s Ambition Surges in potential Summer Statement Signing Spree
Ignore the mayhem of the past. Although Sunderland is spending, there is a strategy behind it this time.
Sunderland broke the club’s transfer record in 2017 when they last played Premier League football, spending £13.6 million. Didier Ndong was brought in by that fee. For Asamoah Gyan, it was £13 million prior to him. Steven Fletcher and Jeremain Lens followed closely behind. And that was viewed as a significant expenditure.
Even a Championship superstar with Premier League potential wouldn’t be available with the same numbers in 2025.
That explains everything you need to know about how Sunderland has had to adapt along with the Premier League.
In actuality, the manner and timing of the expenditures are more noteworthy than the amount of money spent. For a club-record £30 million, the Black Cats made a daring early attempt to sign Senegal international Habib Diarra. Both the leap and the declaration of intent are noteworthy.
It also doesn’t seem to be an isolated incident. Sunderland has already spent almost £20 million on midfielder Enzo Le Fée, and there are rumors that they are also trying to sign Nice goalkeeper Martin Bulka for about £18 million.
If Bulka chooses Saudi Arabia over the Premier League, Sunderland is likely to recruit another goalkeeper at a comparable price. Another well-known figure on the list is Armand Laurienté, who is worth £17 million.
If all goes according to plan, that would be a potential £85 million transfer fee expenditure on four key players to start the summer off right. That is an incredible amount for a team that was just searching the free agent market, and that’s before you factor in the money needed to finalize Reinildo’s free agent signing.
It demonstrates not just how ambitious Sunderland is, but also how much the game and the team’s philosophy have changed over time. Diarra’s refusal to accept other Premier League “projects” to visit Wearside implies that Sunderland’s offer is now strong. It wasn’t always like that.
Because Sunderland stumbled from one poor concept to another for years. This club lacked direction and identity, from Roberto De Fanti to Martin Bain, from Margaret Byrne’s blunders to Ellis Short’s rash choices, and that’s not even counting the managers who came and went.
They compensated players who didn’t truly want to be there and had no clear plan for how to develop or get better since they were desperate to stay in business. In retrospect, Sunderland’s 10 consecutive seasons in the top division is astounding. It’s a whole different picture now.
There are benefits to making a plan and following it through. That’s what’s going on right now. Régis Le Bris, Stuart Harvey, Kristjaan Speakman, and soon to be Florent Ghisolfi are all pulling in the same direction.
Each has a distinct role, a strong commitment to the project, and—most importantly—confidence in one another. An already intelligent setup gains even more strategic firepower from Ghisolfi, a highly regarded operator who turned down offers from Juventus, Fiorentina, and Newcastle to join Sunderland.
It’s obvious that Le Bris’ opinions matter, and the top alignment is strong. It gives the impression that all parties involved—staff, players, and supporters—are in agreement.
This season, it might not be enough to keep Sunderland in the division. The Premier League is harsh and cruel. However, you get the impression that the club is at least trying it out properly and with a plan.
This club no longer functions according to the whims of a single person. This club has laid the foundation. One that has been carefully constructed over the past three years, giving sustainability, identity, and youth top priority. similar to Brighton. similar to Brentford.
So certainly, £30million is a large fee. But in today’s Premier League, that’s the going fee for true ambition. And Sunderland could be about to pay nearly three times that.
Eight years ago, the club’s biggest outlays produced instability and relegation. In 2025, they might just bring control, clarity and survival. Here’s hope, anyway.
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