Sunderland have beaten Leeds United to land Senegal middlefielder Habib Diarra from Strasbourg for a club‑record £30 million.
The 21‑year‑old, a key player and captain in France, will pass his medical at the Stadium of Light before finalising the move.
Leeds had been actively chasing Diarra, submitting a bid of around £18.7 million and later reportedly matching Sunderland’s offer, but Diarra chose the Black Cats instead.
He had also attracted attention from Eintracht Frankfurt and AC Milan.
Last season (2024/25), Diarra featured in 33 official games for Strasbourg (30 in Ligue 1, 3 in cup), netting 4 goals and delivering 5 assists—his box‑to‑box style helped seal his reputation as one of Europe’s rising midfield talents.
Sunderland are preparing for life in the Premier League following their playoff victory, and Diarra will likely fill the void left by Jobe Bellingham, who transferred to Borussia Dortmund.
Under manager Régis Le Bris, the club is moving fast to build a competitive squad for the new campaign.
