Sunderland have signed midfielder, Habib Diarra from Strasbourg for £30m.
Diarra had been the subject of interest from Sunderland’s fellow promoted rivals, Leeds United, but the 21-year-old decided to join the Black Cats to replace Jobe Bellingham who had moved to Borussia Dortmund.
Sunderland have paid an initial £27m transfer fee to Strasbourg but a further £3m in add-ons could take the total fee to £30m, with Diarra having signed a five-year contract until June 2030.
Speaking about his move to Sunderland, Diarra expressed his happiness at joining the Black Cats and meeting fans as he vowed to fight to keep them in the top-flight.
“I’m happy and excited to become a Black Cat and I can’t wait to discover the Stadium of Light and its fans. Everyone saw last season’s success and I guarantee that I’ll give everything for this team and fight for these colours in the Premier League. I’m ready for this challenge and I can’t wait to get started.”
Sunderland’s Sporting Director, Kristjaan Speakman added: “Habib is an exciting talent, and we are delighted to welcome him to Sunderland AFC. At 21, he already has more than 100 senior appearances on his resume, and he’s been a captain in one of Europe’s elite leagues.
“This underlines his undoubted quality and immense potential, and it reflects our progress and ambition that we have secured a player of his calibre. Like Sunderland, Habib is ready for the Premier League, and we look forward to taking this exciting step with him.”
Diarra began his career at Mulhouse before he moved to Strasbourg in 2018 where he graduated through their youth academy to make his senior debut in October 2021 in a 5-1 Ligue 1 victory over St. Etienne.
The midfielder has since scored 10 goals in 99 appearances across four seasons, during which he netted four goals in 11 senior appearances for Senegal – with his most recent goal having come in Senegal’s shock friendly victory over England earlier this month.
