“Final stages”: Sassuolo’s manager speaks out about the £17.5 million Laurienté to Sunderland transfer agreement

Sassuolo confirms that Armand Laurienté’s £17.5 million deal with Sunderland is nearing completion.

 

According to Giovanni Carnevali, the CEO of Sassuolo, Armand Laurienté’s contract with Sunderland is almost final. The attacker is presently undergoing a physical before joining the Premier League.

Carnevali informed the media during the United Charity Gala Dinner in Italy that the two clubs had reached a thorough agreement for the 26-year-old, and that formal confirmation would be provided within 48 hours.

 

“It is nearly complete.” We’ve already made an arrangement with Sunderland, and the player is already on route to medicals,” Carnevali said. “We’re nearing completion; I believe we’ll formally announce everything either tomorrow or Sunday.”

The transfer is one of Sunderland’s biggest expenditures in recent memory, with an estimated value of around €20 million (about £17.5 million). Laurienté is the newest high-profile addition for head coach Régis Le Bris, sporting director Kristjaan Speakman, and director of football Florent Ghisolfi. He is expected to sign a five-year contract.

 

Last season, the French attacker scored 18 goals to help Sassuolo win promotion back to Serie A for the first time. Laurienté is a dynamic attacker who can play in the middle or on the left side, a position he frequently played under Le Bris at Lorient.

Carnevali recognized Laurienté’s departure would be a significant loss for the Italian club, but it would allow them to reinvest. “It’s going to be a difficult season,” he told me.

We will have to pay about €20 million for Laurenté to leave, which will free up funds for valuable championship preparations. The market is long and complicated, but we still have a lot to do. I’m not suggesting we’re behind.

If Laurienté’s physical and final paperwork are completed well, Sunderland is expected to make his public debut this weekend or early next week. The team from Le Bris is now in Portugal and will play a preseason friendly against Sevilla on Saturday night.

What recent remarks has Kristjaan Speakman made?

Speakman said Sunderland is still hoping to add “several” new players to its squad, even if the transfer window has started quickly.

Before the Black Cats officially announced their sixth summer acquisition, Simon Adingra, who would cost £18.5 million to acquire from Brighton & Hove Albion, Speakman recently spoke with Sky Sports. In order to build a team that could survive and thrive in the Premier League, the club’s sports director stated that they were far from done.

Speakman told the audience, “We still have a few more players that we need to acquire in certain areas of the pitch.” We need to find the right players, but I’ll leave it up to you. We have never acted hastily. There’s a fine line between waiting and searching for [players], but we’ll do our best to stay calm. Making decisions and knowing you have the right ones are equally crucial.

“Momentum is essential. We wish to ensure that we get off to a strong start. We tested out the three or four players we knew would fit in the best. This, in my opinion, illustrates the ownership’s ambition and the club’s future.