Kristjaan Speakman hints at major financial boost for Sunderland in transfer market
Sunderland sporting director Kristjaan Speakman has hinted that the sale of Isaac Lihadji has given the club’s transfer coffers a significant boost.
Lihadji has completed a move to Qatari club Al-Duhail SC for an undisclosed fee after just eight months on Wearside.
The Frenchman made just six appearances during that time, although it was expected he would have a bigger role in the upcoming season.
However, while we will never know what might have been, it sounds like Sunderland have earned some good money out of the deal, which can now be used to strengthen their squad immediately.
“We thoroughly enjoyed having Isaac at Sunderland AFC, but we must be pragmatic in these scenarios and assess the opportunity in any transfer proposals that we receive,” Speakman told safc.com.
“After considering all the factors, we believe this represents an incredibly positive deal for the Club and it’s a transfer that will also create immediate opportunities for us in the market.
“Isaac is a great kid, and we wish him well in his new adventure.”
Sunderland are understood to be ‘close’ to two new attacking signings, with Tony Mowbray sounding very positive on potential incomings before the end of the transfer window.
“We need to add a couple more players, and we will be trying to do that, not by Sunday, but definitely by the end of this month,” Mowbray said on Friday. “By the time the window closes, we need to, and I’m pretty sure we will, have some new additions to help the current squad.
“We still need some attacking options. Semedo (Hemir) has scored some good goals this pre-season, he’s got himself into some good positions and headed in a couple of good goals, but he is a young boy.
“I don’t think we can hang our hat on him for 46 games, we need some reinforcements at the top end of the pitch, and I am pretty sure that they are coming.
“[The new players are] likely to be names you’d have to follow world football to know, I would suggest to you. But I think they'll probably be a little more experienced, they're not going to be kids who've never played men's football before.
“They’ll be footballers who are very talented, just on the cusp of their international teams, playing in a league that we think we can go to and take their best players. We don’t pay the very top dollar in this division, but we feel we can find really talented players and give them that exposure, and then we can have a real footballer on our hands.
“It’s not about getting household names because they already have that reputation and they can earn beyond what we pay. The idea is to get these players and turn them into household names over a year or two.”
One such player could Alexander Aravena with fresh reports in Chile linking him with a move to Sunderland. Meanwhile, French daily L’Equipe claim Sunderland are one of a few clubs chasing a loan deal for Stade Rennais centre forward Matthis Abline.
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