Sunderland in talks to sign “stunning” £26m star

Sunderland are going to have to add more depth and quality to their squad after they qualified for the Europa League by finishing seventh in the Premier League this season.

The Black Cats secured European football with a 2-1 win over Chelsea on the final day of the campaign, marking an exceptional return to the top-flight after they won promotion last year.

Regis Le Bris now has to make some key additions to the group to ensure that the squad is ready to compete in both the Premier League and the Europa League.

Some players may suffer as a result of an injection of new stars, including left winger Chemsdine Talbi after an inconsistent first year at the Stadium of Light.

The Morocco international ended the season with four goals and one assist in 28 appearances in the Premier League for the Black Cats after his move from Club Brugge last year.

Talbi struggled to offer consistent quality as a scorer or a creator of goals for Sunderland and lost his place as a starter at times because of it, starting 16 of his 28 appearances.

Now, the club are reportedly looking at a move for a forward who could arrive at the Stadium of Light as a better option than the 21-year-old next season.

According to TEAMtalk, Sunderland are interested in a deal to sign Bayer Leverkusen left winger Kerim Alajbegovic in the upcoming summer transfer window.

The report claims that they have made contact with the player’s representatives to enter into talks about a potential move to Wearside for the young talent this summer.

It adds that the German side are set to demand a fee of up to £26m for the Bosnia international, as they are set to re-sign him from RB Salzburg for £7m before potentially landing a significant profit on him.

TEAMtalk reveals that the Black Cats are leading the race to sign the 18-year-old attacker, but Italian giants Roma are also keen on a move for the teenage sensation, so it will not be a straightforward deal to get done.

How Kerim Alajbegovic would be an upgrade on Chemsdine Talbi for Sunderland

Talbi is yet to show that he can provide goals and assists on a regular basis at first-team level, as he never hit double figures for goals or assists in a season in his career.

The Morocco international scored five goals and assisted three goals in the Pro League during the 2024/25 campaign for Club Brugge before his return of four goals and one assist in the Premier League for Sunderland.

Alajbegovic, meanwhile, racked up 13 goals in all competitions for RB Salzburg this season, scoring more goals than Talbi managed in the past two years combined.

The 18-year-old scored nine times in the Austrian Bundesliga, five more goals than Talbi produced in the Premier League, and he created an eye-catching nine ‘big chances’ for his teammates.

These statistics suggest that the teenage wizard, who was hailed for his “stunning” form by U23 scout Antonio Mango, has the potential to be a much better option than the former Club Brugge star, as he could offer more quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals.

Alajbegovic also has experience in the Europa League. He scored two goals and provided one assist in four starts in the competition in the 2025/26 campaign, which shows that he can be effective at that level ahead of Sunderland’s European campaign next term.

Talbi, meanwhile, has not played in the Europa League before in his career, suggesting that the Bosnian attacker would be more likely to hit the ground running as an influential forward in the competition.

Overall, the 18-year-old talent appears to have the potential to be an upgrade for Le Bris on the left flank for the 2025/26 campaign and beyond, if he can adapt to English football and the Premier League.

The fact that Bayer Leverkusen activated their buyback option and want £26m for his services suggests that they believe that he has the quality to scale up, and it is now down to Sunderland to agree a deal to bring him to the Stadium of Light to see if he can do it.