Sunderland have suffered a transfer setback after a deal to sign Armand Laurienté fell through

Sunderland have suffered a transfer setback after a deal to sign Sassuolo forward Armand Laurienté fell through in the final stages.

The Echo understands that the club have opted not to pursue a deal for the 26-year-old after being unable to finalise an agreement with all parties. Laurienté had been a key attacking target for the Black Cats and after agreeing an initial £17.5 million fee with Sassuolo, the player had travelled to Portugal to undergo a medical and finalise a five-year deal. The Echo understand that a decision has subsequently been made not to conclude a deal and that the club will now look to pursue other targets.

The news is a significant blow for the Black Cats, who had identified Laurienté as a player who could bring speed, versatility and top-level quality to their forward line. It’s a particularly big setback as Régis Le Bris confirmed after the 1-1 draw with Sevilla on Saturday night that Romaine Mundle would miss the start of the season after undergoing surgery on his hamstring.

“Romaine has had surgery on his hamstring,” Le Bris said.

“It's a real shame because Romaine worked really well through the summer. We decided to go for a conservative treatment, I think it was the best option when the advice from the specialists arrived. But at the end he got this injury after a sprint in a training session and now we have to wait.

“We don't have an exact timeframe yet but it will be short [for the start of the season], for sure. We'll know the full extent a little later.”

What Régis Le Bris said about transfers after Sunderland’s draw with Sevilla

"It's clear that we need to reinforce the squad but it's always two points of view,” Le Bris said.

“Now here in Portugal we are working on the players we have and on the other side we have a strong staff to work on the recruitment. Both are combining at the same time now. I'm really happy with the team spirit. My brain is always been the two parts of the club, coaching and recruitment! I think we are doing well. The market is always tough, we are not the only club who wants to reinforce the squad to have the most competitive squad for the Premier league. So we have to take time and rushing is not a good option. At the same time, we know we have to be ready [for the start of the season].”

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