Sunderland were looking at a number of managers during the summer transfer window. One was QPR boss Marti Cifuentes who’s since endured mixed fortunes in 2024/25.
Before Sunderland appointed Regis Le Bris during the summer, there was a horde of names mentioned alongside the Stadium of Light vacancy, with names from far and wide linked.
Several names closer to home were linked with one being Marti Cifuentes at QPR. Sunderland were interested in Cifuentes after he guided the R’s to safety in the Championship last time round, but the Black Cats didn’t want to pay his compensation.
Appointing Le Bris has since proved a masterstroke with Sunderland sitting in 4th place of the Championship table despite a frustrating 2-2 draw with Plymouth Argyle in the last outing.
That’s compared to QPR in 13th. But the West Londoners were struggling far down the table for a long while in the first half of this season.
They’re finding form now though, and now they look set to snap up a reported Sunderland transfer target in Chelsea midfielder Harvey Vale.
QPR agree terms with Sunderland target Harvey Vale
Earlier in the January transfer window, Sunderland were linked with Vale who’s out of contract at Chelsea in the summer. It was then revealed that Vale could leave Chelsea for free, but that the Premier League giants would want to insert a selection of add-ons fees and bonus payments.
More recently, the race for Vale has heated up. It was revealed that Tony Mowbray’s West Brom wanted to sign Vale, though it’s QPR who look set to sign the 21-year-old following an update from transfer guru Ben Jacobs on X.
Jacobs says that Vale and QPR have ‘agreed terms’ and that West London rivals QPR and Chelsea are now in ‘advanced talks over bonus payments and a sell-on clause’.
- READ MORE: £12.6m striker deal… The four Sunderland transfer stories to keep an eye on ahead of deadline day
Who will Sunderland sign next?
Deadline day is rapidly approaching. So far, Sunderland have signed Enzo Le Fee on loan from Roma and have overseen the exits of Aaron Connolly to Millwall and Nazariy Rusyn on loan to Hajduk Split.
But who the Black Cats sign next is a bit of a mystery. No signings seem close, but it certainly seems like a striker signing will be next, with a number being linked ahead of deadline day.
Kristjaan Speakman could pull off some late coups once again, and Le Bris may be praying that he does with striker options looking incredibly low at the moment.