Sunderland boss keeps door open for West Ham misfit but £17m man has other ideas

West Ham United’s lack of movement in the transfer market so far could not be in starker contrast to the flurry of activity over at Premier League newcomers Sunderland.

Chemsdine Talbi, a forward of Champions League pedigree, joined the Black Cats in a £19.5 million deal from Club Brugge on Wednesday. He will be followed, it seems, by Brighton and Hove Albion wideman Simon Adingra.

A further £20 million invested in Adingra will take Sunderland’s summer spend to approximately £104 million.

No wonder many observers are already labelling that the Black Cats the ‘winners of the window’, even if the likes of Fulham, Burnley and Nottingham Forest in the recent past prove that a considerable summer spend is no guarantee of a comfortable mid-table finish.

As for West Ham United, Graham Potter’s side are yet to even get out of the starting grid.

The West Ham-linked Habib Diarra joined Sunderland in a club-record £30 million deal from Strasbourg on July 1st. The Black Cats are targeting Lyon forward Georges Mikautadze too; another with admirers at the London Stadium.

West Ham have been linked with Bournemouth’s Hamed Traore as well. And, if reports are to be believed, he is also now on Sunderland’s radar.

The very least Sunderland could do, then, is offer to take Nayef Aguerd off the Hammers’ hands.

Sunderland linked with West Ham United misfit Nayef Aguerd

It is no secret that Florent Ghisolfi, Sunderland’s new director of football, is a big fan of the forgotten man of the London Stadium.

Ghisolfi was driving Roma’s pursuit of Nayef Aguerd before leaving the Italian capital for the Stadium of Light recently. Roma’s interest has cooled since the Frenchman said his goodbyes.

And it is surely no coincidence that, since Ghisolfi touched down on Wearside, Sunderland have appeared in the picture for Aguerd.

Last season’s Championship play-off victors have not spent a single penny of that existing £89 million outlay on defensive additions. In fact, the only new defender to arrive so far this summer is Reinildo Mandava, the experienced 31-year-old snapped up on a free transfer from Spanish giants Atletico Madrid.

Did Reinildo’s arrival close the door for Aguerd to join him in the North East? The former, like the latter, is a natural left-footer after all.

And while Reinildo featured more often than not as a full-back in Atletico colours, he did also make a third of his 103 appearances under Diego Simeone at centre-half.

A centre-half position Aguerd would look to nail down if he was to make the move from London to Sunderland.

Kristjaan Speakman keeps the door open for Aguerd to join the Black Cats

Sporting director Kristjaan Speakman welcomed Reinildo to England this week. He was keen to point out, meanwhile, that Sunderland see the former Lille stopper not as a central defender but as a left-back. Thus, keeping the door ajar for Aguerd to follow in his wake.

“We’ve had to be patient to finalise this transfer due to his involvement in the FIFA Club World Cup, but we’re delighted to welcome Reinildo to Wearside,” Speakman said of the Premier League’s first-ever Mozambican footballer.

“We feel he’s an ideal profile for our full-back position and his experience is a perfect fit for our squad composition.”

There is, then, space for Aguerd to join Regis Le Bris’ ever-changing squad as well. Perhaps, playing alongside Reinildo in a new-look backline.

Then again, Hammers News have been informed that Nayef Aguerd has little interest in staying in England.

Though, as Bayer Leverkusen sign Jarell Quansah, as Marseille beat West Ham to CJ Egan-Riley, as Real Sociedad rule out a permanent deal, and as rumours of a move to Juventus quieten down, options are not really something the now-£17 million-rated Aguerd has a lot of moment.

“The lad just doesn’t want to be in England. He doesn’t want to play in the Premier League, it’s nothing to do with [Graham] Potter,” a source close to the situation explained this week.

“He wants to play in another country.”