While a much-changed side slipped up in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night, it was Sunderland’s wasteful finishing that cost them on the road at Burnley at the weekend.
Regis Le Bris’ Black Cats were lethal, on the contrary, when swatting West Ham United aside 3-0 to kick off the new Premier League campaign. But, at Turf Moor, nine efforts on the Clarets’ goal would go begging, with Eliezer Mayenda, in particular, guilty of fluffing his lines when failing to fire home a point-blank effort early into the first half.
The defence wasn’t without its faults in Lancashire, either, as both of Burnley’s on-target efforts on the day were tucked away, leaving Le Bris with a whole host of late targets on his shopping list to improve the Wearside outfit all across the pitch.
Sunderland pushing to sign £24m titan
The Frenchman will just pray his team can find consistent results moving forward, knowing performances such as the one dished up at Burnley could result in an instant collapse back down to the Championship.
In a bid to introduce more star quality to the ranks, Sunderland are now being tipped to make a last-ditch £30m move for RC Strasbourg attacker Dilane Bakwa, on top of also being interested in the prospect of snapping up Chelsea reserve defender Axel Disasi to add more Premier League-recognised defenders to the group.
Sunderland are also still in the hunt for long-term target Jhon Lucumi from Bologna to bolster at the back, with another twist in the tale reported by journalist Eduardo Burgos, via X.
Despite lining up for his current employers during their opening contest in Serie A, the Colombian – who looks to be available for a fee around the £24m region – is still pushing for a move at the final hour, with Sunderland even opening back up negotiations with Vincenzo Italiano’s men to finally get a deal over the line.
If the deal finally were to have legs, this would be a far more impressive purchase to seal than going after Disasi, especially if Lucumi is open to relocating to English shores for less than the Chelsea reserve centre-back’s price tag.
Why Lucumi would be a better signing than Disasi
Unfortunately, despite showing promising early signs at Stamford Bridge, Disasi has become another forgotten man in Enzo Maresca’s overloaded camp.
The former AS Monaco colossus would shine in spurts for Chelsea when used frequently during the 2023/24 season, with an unerring 91% pass accuracy averaged across his 31 Blues league encounters, as per Sofascore.
However, he has also been prone to a lackadaisical error on the ball in the first team picture at Chelsea, as seen in this costly moment last season that saw now Chelsea attacker Liam Delap run away with confidence, before teeing up Omari Hutchinson to gift Ipswich Town a shock 2-0 lead.
The same lax errors seeping into his game on Wearside would be potentially detrimental to Sunderland’s survival chances, with Lucumi far more well-versed in what it takes to be a success at a challenging top-flight level in the Serie A, away from Disasi, who has largely flattered to deceive at Stamford Bridge.
Indeed, last season saw Lucumi solidify his position as one of Bologna’s main starters, with a formidable ten clean sheets picked up as Italiano’s men finished in a comfortable ninth final spot.
Le Bris will be dreaming of similar secure finishes down the line at the Black Cats, with Lucumi actually trumping Disasi’s assured passing numbers at his Chelsea peak when also averaging a 92% pass accuracy last campaign, leading to analyst Ben Mattinson hailing the South American as “ice-cold” for his composure with the ball at his feet.
The towering 6-foot-2 titan can also put his lofty frame to good use with 3.9 duels won on average, meaning he might well prove to be an ideal replacement for Daniel Ballard, too, if the Northern Irishman is resigned to another stay in the Stadium of Light treatment room after coming off injured at Burnley.
While Disasi was once previously dubbed a “monster” for his heroics at Chelsea by journalist Rahman Osman, it’s clear now that his stock has worryingly declined in West London.
On the other hand, for roughly £6m less than the Frenchman, Sunderland might well be able to poach a stronger alternative target in Lucumi, who is still very much stuck in his Bologna prime.
