Sunderland could see a £5m bid accepted to sign new players

Sunderland coach, Regis Le Bris, has admitted that the club will have to enter the market to strengthen the squad ahead of the Europa League campaign.

The Black Cats will have at least eight more games to play in the 2026/27 season after finishing seventh in the Premier League to qualify for the European competition.

Le Bris told The Telegraph that he needs three or four more players, before any possible sale, to improve the depth of his squad in the coming months.

The French coach knows he needs a strong squad to ensure fatigue and injury do not set in due to the star-studded Premier League and Europa League.

Sunderland hit the jackpot with many of their signings last summer, with the likes of Granit Xhaka, Nordi Mukiele, Brian Brobbey, and Omar Alderrete appearing to be successful additions.

Sunderland have seen a price bid accepted for the winger target

Despite the amount of business done last year, some of the stars of the championship-winning season managed to keep a place in the side, including Trai Hume.

The Northern Ireland international has started 34 Premier League games for the Black Cats, but only 19 of those have started at right-back, as he usually finds himself starting on the right-hand side in the second half of the campaign.

According to Football Finanzas, Sunderland is one of the clubs interested in signing Sevilla defender, Chidera Ejuke, who could come to improve Hume’s side.

The report claims that Sevilla expect to receive around £5m for the attacker in the upcoming summer transfer window, meaning the Black Cats could see a deal agreed.

He adds that the Nigerian midfielder will be available for such a cheap price because his current contract expires in the summer of 2027, and the Spanish club would rather get a small fee now than lose him for free next year.

Sunderland are not the only club in the race for his signature, however, as the report claims that Leeds United, Bayer Leverkusen, and Fulham are also eyeing a deal for the experienced striker.

How could Chidera Ejuke be better than Sunderland’s Trai Hume

Yes, Hume is a full-back who has been playing out of position on the right side to add defensive balance to Le Bris on the right, with Mukiele at right back.

Ejuke would be an interesting signing for Sunderland as he is not a world-class striker who is likely to score 15 goals in the Premier League, but he would be a midfielder with the physicality and defensive quality that Hume brings to that role.

The 28-year-old has never scored more than nine goals or provided more than four assists in a season, yet has played in the Eredivisie, Bundesliga and LaLiga in his career, which shows that clubs see more value than goals and assists in him.

Ejuke has won more ground duels and a higher percentage of his ground duels than Hume at league level this season, showing that he brings physicality and defensive work-rate to the wing, whether on the left or right of attack.

His strike numbers are also less than the 24-year-old’s Sunderland man and show that he will provide the level of ball-carrying that the Northern Irishman can provide, as he is always able to tackle defenders to get the team up the pitch.

Ejuke’s high-quality football compared to Hume could make him a better option in the big games in Europe next season, as he can be a good player to move the ball forward in games against high-quality football teams.

The Nigerian star also loses the ball far less than the Sunderland man, only losing 6.6 times per game this season at league level, indicating he will be more reliable with the ball at his feet.

Therefore, Le Bris should push the board to complete this deal for the club because Ejuke could come as an improvement on Hume as a defensive right midfielder, with his technical, physical, and defensive qualities on the side.