Sunderland transfer news: Black Cats to blow Celtic 'out of water' in midfielder race

Sunderland person reportedly moved up of Celtic successful the contention for Schalke 04 midfielder Soufian El-Faouzi.

The Black Cats are concluding the run successful humble fashion, playing retired a goalless draw against Michael Carrick's Manchester United connected the weekend, with the Red Devils already guaranteed Champions League shot adjacent term.

Thoughts are opening to drift towards the summertime trading constituent for Regis Le Bris's side, who person supposedly opted against bringing Netherlands planetary Lutsharel Geertruida backmost to the nine permanently.

Sunderland are said to person a £20m enactment to acquisition the 25-year-old right-back from RB Leipzig this summer, however, the North-East giants are acceptable to absorption their recruitment attentions elsewhere.

Tipped by pundits and supporters alike for a relegation battle, the Black Cats person been obscurity adjacent bottom-three worries this word and presently beryllium successful 12th spot, 12 points up of 18th-placed West Ham United.

Sunderland up of Celtic successful midfielder race?

According to Football Insider, Sunderland are funny successful securing the services of Schalke midfielder Soufian El-Faouzi during the upcoming summertime transportation window, erstwhile large wealth is expected to spent again astatine the Stadium of Light.

The study claims that the Premier League broadside person moved up of Scottish giants Celtic and Rangers successful the contention for the 23-year-old, who precocious helped his German employers seal promotion backmost to the Bundesliga.

Preparing for a play astatine the apical array of their home scene, Schalke are supposedly looking to clasp the talents of El-Faouzi this summer, demanding astatine slightest £10m for the goalscoring midfielder.

It is understood that English teams Sunderland and Brentford person the fiscal musculus to bushed Celtic and Rangers successful a bidding war, reducing the chances of a Scottish Premiership transfer.

As good arsenic clubs connected the British Isles, determination are besides said to beryllium admirers of El-Faouzi crossed Europe, with Bologna of Serie A and Rennes of Ligue 1 successful France chasing the signature of the German.

The Gelsenkirchen Gentlemen

As precocious arsenic 2024, El-Faouzi was plying his commercialized successful the 2nd squad of Fortuna Dusseldorf, featuring successful Regionalliga - a level equivalent to England's League Two successful the German shot pyramid.

A breakthrough run astatine Alemannia Aachen successful the 3rd part led to a summertime 2025 power to fallen giants Schalke, who person ended their three-year lack from the Bundesliga with promotion successful 2025-26.

Scoring 2 goals and providing 5 assists from a deep-lying midfield relation this term, El-Faouzi was a standout prima for the Gelsenkirchen club, starring to plentifulness of involvement from the Premier League.