Sunderland
Premier League • England
Sunderland take firm stance on Jhon Lucumi fee as Bologna learn FINAL decision – sources
Bologna centre-back Jhon Lucumi, who is a Sunderland target
Sunderland are keen on signing Jhon Lucumi from Bologna in the summer transfer window, sources have told TEAMtalk, but the Black Cats’ firm stance on the fee has opened the door for other clubs to swoop in.
After winning promotion from the Championship, Sunderland have been very active in the summer transfer window, as the Black Cats aim to make an impact in the Premier League in the 2025/26 campaign. Enzo Le Fee, Habib Diarra, Noah Sadiki, Reinildo Mandava, Chemsdine Talbi and Simon Adingra are the new players in Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris’s squad.
Sunderland are not finished yet, with sources telling TEAMtalk that the Black Cats are keen on adding a new centre-back to their team for next season.
TEAMtalk understands that Sunderland want to sign Lucumi this summer, but Bologna’s asking price remains a key obstacle in the negotiations.
The Serie A club are asking for at least €25million (£21.7m, $29m) plus add-ons to consider letting their centre-back leave.
At this stage, Sunderland are not prepared to meet that fixed fee and would only be open to a deal closer to that amount, including bonuses.
The promoted Premier League club are not planning to go beyond that figure, leaving the deal uncertain.
This situation keeps the door open for other clubs to swoop in for Lucumi. Bournemouth and Atletico Madrid have shown interest in recent days, while AC Milan also made contact with the player’s agents, although there has been no real progress on that front.
TEAMtalk’s transfer correspondent, Fraser Fletcher, reported on June 23 that Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur, Brentford, Brighton and Hove Albion, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Manchester United have also shown interest in Lucumi.
Meanwhile, Bologna would like to keep Lucumi. The Italian club have already offered the former Genk star a new contract until 2029, including a significant salary increase, to convince the 27-year-old Colombia international centre-back to stay in Serie A.
At the moment, Lucumi’s future remains uncertain, with multiple options still on the table.
Much will depend on whether any club comes close to Bologna’s demands in the coming weeks.
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Who is Jhon Lucimi?
After three seasons and more than 100 appearances with Bologna, Lucumi looks ready for the next step in his career.
When Bologna qualified for the Champions League for the first time by the end of the 2023-24 season, most of the headlines were stolen by Riccardo Calafiori at the back, who subsequently earned a move to Arsenal. But Lucumi was a fairly regular presence in the position too and has stepped up alongside Sam Beukema since Calafiori’s exit.
Left-footed, Lucumi is extremely composed on the ball, but also strong in duels.
In the 2024-25 Serie A season, he ranked in the 96th percentile of centre-backs for ball recoveries per 90 minutes (6.06), 93rd percentile for switches per 90 minutes (0.55) and 93rd percentile for carries per 90 minutes (50.41).
Boasting a pass completion rate of 91.1%, Lucumi’s security in possession has stood out across different regimes at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara.
He took the step up to Champions League level well too, ranking in the 95th percentile of centre-backs in the 2024-25 competition for tackles per 90 minutes with 2.72.
Comfortable playing in a high line, Lucumi wins many duels in the middle third and can carry the ball forward to initiate attacks.
He has come a long way since his early days playing for Deportivo Cali in his native Colombia and then Genk in Belgium. As the prime of his career kicks into gear, Lucumi’s options are open wide this summer.