Sunderland face tough competition to keep hold of Trai Hume this summer.
The defender arrived in Sunderland for a small fee in 2022 but took a while to force his way into the starting line-up.
However, he has now racked up 76 appearances in the Championship and won the most successful tackles in the second tier last season.
It was reported earlier this year that Hume had attracted interest from Aston Villa, Bournemouth, Leeds, Leicester and Napoli, however it is another European club that had reportedly made the first move.
Sunderland play down talk of seven-figure bid
Reports emerged yesterday claiming that Sunderland had rejected a £7 million offer from Galatasaray for the Northern Ireland international, while it was claimed that they would demand £10m before they even started considering selling him.
However, the Sunderland Echo are now reporting that senior figures at the club have ’emphatically rejected’ any suggestion that they have received a bid for Hume.
It is unclear whether Galatasaray are still targeting a move for Hume though, while the previous interested parties could still make offers of their own before the transfer window closes.
Supporters will be relieved to hear that the 22-year-old is staying at the Stadium of Light, but every player has a price and if any club do come in with a seven-figure bid then that would surely tempt the Wearsiders into entertaining talks.
The Black Cats will be in big trouble if any bids come from the Premier League, but the promise of Champions League football in Turkey would surely catch Hume’s eye too.
Should the Black Cats consider selling Trai Hume?
While not a creative goalscorer that gets people off their seats like Jack Clarke, Hume is still one of the most important players on Wearside and would be tough to replace.
However, £10m would certainly go a decent way to bringing in a new tough-tackling full-back.
It would be interesting to see if Timothee Pembele was given more of a role in the team if Hume did leave, though he would offer completely different traits to his teammate.
The Frenchman is speedy and loves to get forward, but there is no denying that Sunderland would miss Hume’s strength, intensity and slide tackles.
With over six weeks until deadline day, fans will definitely feel very wary about the future of Hume and their other biggest stars.