Sunderland Transfer News: SAFC lodge £69.7m bid for Barcelona star – report

A report coming out of Spain has made an extraordinary claim that Sunderland are hoping to prise one of Barcelona’s top talents from Camp Nou to the Stadium of Light for big money.

The Black Cats have enjoyed a stellar season in their first Premier League campaign in nine years, heading into the new year in seventh place and four points behind champions Liverpool before holding Manchester City and Spurs to draws.

Regis Le Bris has seen many of his summer arrivals, namely Granit Xhaka and Robin Roefs, turn what was destined to be a survival-focused campaign into one that has fans dreaming of a place in Europe.

Looking to strike while the iron is hot, Le Bris and Sunderland have now been linked with an incredible move which would undoubtedly go down as one of the biggest transfer coups in recent years.

According to Spanish football news outlet Fichajes, Sunderland have submitted an €80m (£69.7m) offer for 22-year-old attacking midfielder Fermin Lopez.

The Spain international has been linked with Chelsea in the past, making Sunderland’s apparent interest all the more bewildering.

However, Fichajes states that the Black Cats’ ambition and interest is ‘strong’, even hinting that the fee offered could be higher than Lopez’s worth given his role in the team.

Lopez has had his fair share of injuries this term and has only started once in La Liga since mid-November, but his stock appears to be rising as he is poised to improve on his 12 league starts from 2024/25.

At times, claims from Fichajes can be described as speculative at best, but based on the lengths they go to describe Barcelona’s dilemma, there’s every chance this report has legs.

It is thought that Barcelona are ‘under pressure’, as they want to hold on to their best talents while maintaining a level of financial security – the latter something seldom seen in Catalonia in recent years.

Fermin Lopez is seen by the club as someone who can develop into an even better player, and in turn, a higher sale one day.

But there is a short-term risk, as Barcelona may not get an opportunity to sell for big money for some time, thus needing to make a decision over Lopez’s long-term potential.

Pinches of salt aside, the ambition from Sunderland is admirable, and now having forged a solid platform to build on, it is clear they are intent on staying in the top half of the Premier League, not just in this season, but in years to come.

Graduated in Sport Journalism (BA) with first-class honours from the University of Brighton and has since had bylines in The Times, sports business publication SportsPro, Football FanCast and The Gooner fanzine.