Sunderland Eye Former Tottenham Defender Once Praised by Jose Mourinho

The Black Cats have now been linked with former Spurs defender, who is also attracting interest from Leeds United.

IMAGO / Panthermedia

Great time to be a Sunderland fan. The Black Cats will play in the next Premier League season, and as expected, transfer rumors continue to multiply.

First, let’s recap some of the latest rumors. A few hours ago, we informed you that the Lads have joined the race to sign Lennon Miller, an 18-year-old Scottish player who plays for Motherwell and is also of interest to Celtic.

Additionally, reports emerged yesterday linking Sunderland as one of the clubs interested in French Nantes striker Matthis Abline (22), for whom they will have to compete with Olympique de Marseille, Burnley, Brentford, and Paris FC.

Now, the newly promoted Premier League club has been linked to a former Tottenham defender who currently plays in the Championship.

Sunderland and Leeds United are interested in former Spurs defender Japhet Tanganga

According to information from GiveMeSport, both Sunderland and Leeds United are interested in former Spurs defender and current Millwall player Japhet Tanganga (26) ahead of the 2025-26 season.

The operation would not be expensive, as the same outlet reports that Tanganga has a release clause of less than £2m, very affordable for Premier League clubs.

Besides Sunderland and Leeds, GMS also mentions Burnley in the mix, and in fact, the latter club is said to be Tanganga’s biggest admirer.

Burnley are thought to be particularly keen, with Scott Parker a long-term admirer of Tanganga’s ability to play in both a back three and a back four.

Sam Cohen, GiveMeSport

In the case of Sunderland and Leeds, the cited outlet explains that they have been tracking the player for a while.

Leeds United, meanwhile, have been tracking Tanganga for a while and see him as a high-upside option who could thrive in a bid to stay in the Premier League. The same goes for Sunderland.

Sam Cohen, GiveMeSport

A few years ago, legendary manager Jose Mourinho gave a perfect explanation of what Tanganga can offer as a professional.

He's a good kid, working hard for years (...) He's fast, he's very fast. We think we need fast people when you play against people who are fantastic attacking spaces behind.

Jose Mourinho

It remains to be seen what the next step will be for the 26-year-old defender in his professional career.