Continental journalist plays down chance of Sunderland transfer this January, could still happen 'in June'

Sunderland may struggle to sign Jhon Lucumí during the January transfer window, despite fresh speculation crediting the Black Cats with interest in the Colombian, according to reports.

The Premier League new boys were heavily linked with a swoop for the defender over the course of a hectic summer, but ultimately failed to prise him away from current employers Bologna.

Instead, the Italian outfit refused to sanction Lucumí’s exit, and have since prioritised trying to tie him down to a new contract. As recently as October, Bologna technical director Giovanni Sartori explained: "We are talking to Lucumí about extending his contract and we would be very happy if he was to stay. Whether he would be happy about that, I don’t know, you’d have to ask him. We’ll see him later on and see what he has decided. After having to give up on his Premier League dream in the summer, he got right back on track with great professionalism. I hope we won’t have to do too much on the transfer market in January, considering the squad has so much quality.”

More recent updates have suggested, however, that Bologna may struggle to convince the South American to put pen to paper any time soon. As things stand, Lucumí’s current deal expires in 2027, but it is understood that talks over an extension have reached something of a stalemate.

And it is within this context that reports from Italy earlier this week claimed that Sunderland are still monitoring the ongoing situation, and that the Black Cats could return with an offer for Lucumí in the near future. It was widely reported that Regis Le Bris’ side initially put together a package worth around £24 million this summer, but there have since been suggestions that a fee of around £12 million could be enough to tempt Bologna into a sale.

It is also worth noting that back in October, The Echo was told Sunderland are not currently planning to revive a deal for Lucumí in January. Sources on Wearside were clear that he is not an active target despite previous admiration, and attention has since shifted elsewhere.

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What is the latest on Jhon Lucumí’s transfer situation amid Sunderland links?

To that end, Gazzetta dello Sport journalist Matteo Dalla Vite is also of the opinion that a January deal is somewhat unlikely. Speaking to Radio Nettuno Bologna Uno, as relayed by TuttoBolognaWeb, he said: “I don’t think he’ll move. My feeling is that if Bologna advances in the Europa League, the Colombian won’t have to move. It’s not a given that he wants to leave in January; at most, he’ll move in June.”

Dalla Vite also clarified that Bologna are actually looking to strengthen their defence in January, adding: “Bologna is expanding its squad in January with an extra defensive rotation. The club wants to move quickly, and as soon as the transfer window opens, they’ll try to close the deal.”

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