Sunderland fail to agree deal with Bundesliga midfielder
Sunderland held talks with former Liverpool midfielder Naby Keita but failed to agree terms, according to Ed Aarons.
Sunderland go into the international break top of the championship after a perfect opening four games.
It is safe to say that no-one anticipated the Black Cats having such a good start to the season.
With the loss of Jack Clarke before their game against Burnley, many thought they would fall off due to losing such a key player. However, Romaine Mundle has stepped up, scoring in both games since Clarke’s departure.
In the week since it has been clear that the Black Cats’ recruitment has moved up a level. The club were linked with a higher calibre of player and a few days after the window has closed, a shock new name has arisen.
According to Ed Aarons, Sunderland had made a late move for former Liverpool man Naby Keita. Terms could not be agreed though and the Guinean midfielder is now in talks over a move to Turkey with Istanbul Basaksehir.
Keita is currently at Werder Bremen in Germany after leaving Liverpool but is looking for a move away.
Still a successful week for Sunderland
Despite Keita’s move falling through, Sunderland still brought four new names to Wearside before the deadline. Milan Aleksic, Chris Mepham, Salis Abdul Samed, and Ahmed Abdullahi will all don the red and white stripes this season.
The Black Cats haven’t exactly scrimped on the permanent signings of Aleksic and Abdullahi, with both coming very highly rated. Aleksic is already with the Serbian national team and could earn his first cap during this international break having turned 19 last Saturday. Serbian manager Dragan Stojkovic told MozzartSport back in May:
“He [Aleksic] is only 18 years old, and I saw one reception of the ball like Messi. This is something that not everyone can do.”
In addition to these two longer term signings, the loan deals for Mepham and Samed provide Sunderland with a lot of quality. Both have played at the top level, with Samed having six Champions League appearances to his name last season.
Despite not signing another striker, it was still a good week for the Black Cats, especially after their 3-1 away at Portsmouth.
What next?
Sunderland have given themselves a lot to build on after the international break. Regis Le Bris will be determined to keep his young group grounded and prevent them from becoming complacent.
In the opening four games, the Black Cats have shown they are capable of competing at the top this season. However, Le Bris knows it is a long season and is not getting ahead of himself.
