Sunderland could see £5m bid accepted to seal new signing

Sunderland head coach Regis Le Bris admits that the club will need to dip into the market to strengthen the squad ahead of a Europa League campaign.

The Black Cats will have at least eight extra fixtures to contend with in the 2026/27 season after they finished seventh in the Premier League to qualify for the European competition.

Le Bris has told The Telegraph that he needs another three or four more players, before any potential sales, to improve the depth of his squad in the coming months.

The French boss knows that he needs a bigger group of players to ensure that fatigue and injuries do not set in as a result of stars being overplayed across the Premier League and the Europa League.

Sunderland hit the jackpot with many of their signings last summer, as the likes of Granit Xhaka, Nordi Mukiele, Brian Brobbey, and Omar Alderete proved to be successful additions.

Sunderland could see bargain bid accepted for winger target

Despite the volume of business done last year, some of the stars from the Championship promotion-winning season managed to retain a place in the side, including Trai Hume.

The Northern Ireland international started 34 matches in the Premier League for the Black Cats, but only 19 of those starts came at right-back, as he often found himself starting on the right wing in the second half of the campaign.

According to Football Finanzas, Sunderland are one of a number of teams interested in a deal to sign Sevilla winger Chidera Ejuke, who could arrive as an upgrade on Hume on the flank.

The report claims that Sevilla are expecting to rake in a fee of around £5m for the attacker in the upcoming summer transfer window, which means that the Black Cats could see a bargain offer accepted.

It adds that the Nigerian winger is set to be available for such a low fee because his current contract is due to expire in the summer of 2027, and the Spanish side would rather cash in for a smaller fee now than lose him for nothing next year.

Sunderland are not the only team in the race for his signature, though, as the report states that Leeds United, Bayer Leverkusen, and Fulham are also looking at a deal for the experienced forward.

How Chidera Ejuke would be better than Trai Hume for Sunderland

Hume is, of course, a full-back who has been playing out of position on the right flank to add some defensive balance for Le Bris on the right side, with Mukiele at right-back.

Ejuke would be an interesting signing for Sunderland because he is not a world-class attacker who is likely to go and score 15 goals in the Premier League, but he would be a natural winger with the physicality and defensive quality that Hume brings to that role.

The 28-year-old has never scored more than nine goals or provided more than four assists in a season, yet has played in the Eredivisie, the Bundesliga, and LaLiga in his career, showing that clubs see value beyond goals and assists in him.

Ejuke won more ground duels and a higher percentage of his ground duels than Hume at league level this season, which shows that he brings physicality and a defensive work rate to the wing, whether that is on the left or the right of the attack.

His dribbling numbers also dwarf the 24-year-old Sunderland star’s and show that he would offer a level of ball carrying that the Northern Irishman is unable to offer, as he can consistently take on defenders to get the team up the pitch.

Ejuke’s superior dribbling in comparison to Hume could make him a far better option in big European games next season, as he could be a brilliant outlet to carry the ball forward in games against top level teams who will dominate the ball.

The Nigerian star also loses the ball far less frequently than the Sunderland man, only losing possession 6.6 times per game this season at league level, which suggests that he would be more reliable with the ball at his feet.

Therefore, Le Bris should push the board to complete this bargain deal for the club because Ejuke could arrive as an upgrade on Hume as a defensive right-sided midfielder, with his technical, physical, and defensive attributes on the flank.