Sunderland and Newcastle are vying for the signature of one of Ligue 1’s top defenders as they seek to bolster their backlines ahead of the 2025/26 Premier League season.
According to ChronicleLive, Sunderland’s early summer transfer targets include 24-year-old defender Wilfried Singo. The Ivorian defender is presently playing for Monaco in Ligue 1, having appeared 27 times this season as the French club finished third.
Sunderland are presently heavy favourites to be relegated next season, therefore they will try to revamp their squad with first-team talent in the summer market. Singo has an average rating of 7.0 on Whoscored, placing him ninth among French defenders, making him a very appealing addition.
The AS Monaco defender has also attracted interest from Sunderland’s local rivals Newcastle. The Magpies are in the market for a new central defender in an attempt to progress their ambitions of being a title challenger. Newcastle on paper is a much more attractive venture however, there is a chance Singo is not Eddie Howe’s main target.
Sunderland have shown strong connections with the French in recent times. Signing many young French players due to the contacts of owner Kyril Louis Dreyfus, as well as the prospect of working under Frenchman Regis Le Bris.
Sunderland’s target is valued at €25 million according to Transfermarkt. This would be quite an expensive signing for the Black Cats, however, it could be very much worth the money if he is to translate his talent from over in Ligue 1 to the Premier League.
Bringing in players of Singo’s calibre might mean the difference between Sunderland staying up and dropping back down to the Championship. If Newcastle are a real contender, it may be difficult to entice the player away from the potential of playing Champions League football. Especially given that Singo would play in the UCL if he stayed at Monaco.
Regardless of the conclusion of this rumour, being associated with a talent like Singo demonstrates Sunderland’s desire and should give Mackems confidence for the forthcoming window.
