Chemsdine Talbi, a forward with Champions League experience, signed for Sunderland in a £19.5 million move from Club Brugge on Wednesday. He’s expected to be followed by Brighton winger Simon Adingra, whose £20 million arrival would push the Black Cats’ summer spending to around £104 million.
It’s no surprise, then, that many are already calling Sunderland the “winners of the window.” Still, recent examples like Fulham, Burnley, and Nottingham Forest show that heavy spending doesn’t always translate to mid-table safety.
Meanwhile, West Ham United and new manager Graham Potter have barely kicked off their transfer activity.
Habib Diarra, once linked with West Ham, joined Sunderland for a club-record £30 million from Strasbourg on July 1. Sunderland are also eyeing Lyon striker Georges Mikautadze—another player admired at the London Stadium.
Bournemouth’s Hamed Traore has also been on West Ham’s radar, but reports suggest Sunderland are now monitoring him too.
With all that in mind, Sunderland might consider offering West Ham a lifeline by taking Nayef Aguerd off their hands.
Sunderland Eyeing West Ham Outcast Nayef Aguerd
Sunderland’s new sporting director, Florent Ghisolfi, is known to be a long-time admirer of Aguerd. While at Roma, Ghisolfi had been spearheading a move for the Moroccan defender before relocating to Wearside, which appears to have cooled Roma’s interest. Since then, Sunderland have emerged as a potential destination.
Despite spending nearly £89 million this summer, Sunderland haven’t yet invested in their defense. The only new defender brought in is 31-year-old Reinildo Mandava, who arrived on a free from Atlético Madrid.
Could Reinildo’s arrival block Aguerd’s path to Sunderland? Perhaps not. While Reinildo primarily played as a full-back for Atlético, he did play centre-back in roughly a third of his 103 appearances under Diego Simeone. Aguerd would be expected to slot into a central defensive role.
Speakman Leaves the Door Open for Aguerd
Sunderland sporting director Kristjaan Speakman welcomed Reinildo this week and clarified that the club sees him as a left-back rather than a central defender—potentially paving the way for Aguerd to join.
“We’ve had to wait due to his FIFA Club World Cup involvement, but we’re thrilled to bring Reinildo to Wearside,” Speakman said, adding, “We see him as an ideal full-back and a great fit for our squad.”
This statement suggests there’s still room in the squad for a central defender like Aguerd to join manager Regis Le Bris’ reshaped side—possibly to partner Reinildo in a refreshed backline.
But Does Aguerd Even Want to Stay in England?
However, according to Hammers News, Aguerd has little desire to remain in England. With Bayer Leverkusen signing Jarell Quansah, Marseille beating West Ham to CJ Egan-Riley, Real Sociedad backing out of a permanent deal, and Juventus’ interest fading, the £17 million-rated defender may be short on options.
“It’s not about Graham Potter. He just doesn’t want to stay in the Premier League,” a source close to Aguerd said this week.
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