SUNDERLAND’S pursuit of Inter Milan full-back Davide Santon took an unexpected twist this evening when the club issued a statement revealing that talks over the full-back had broken down.
Santon had been due to travel to the Academy of Light tomorrow morning to undergo a medical after a series of discussions with Inter Milan officials appeared to have resulted in a breakthrough.
It looked as though Inter were willing to accept the Black Cats’ £3m offer for the former Newcastle United full-back, who barely featured in the second half of last season after suffering a knee injury shortly before Christmas.
However, it is understood today’s talks saw the Serie A club attempting to move the goalposts in terms of the finances of the deal, and Sunderland have opted to shelve their interest.
It remains to be seen whether their decision is a bargaining tool and talks will be resurrected at a later date, but as things stand, Sam Allardyce continues to wait for his first transfer breakthrough of the summer.
Sunderland’s statement said: “Sunderland AFC will not be pursuing its interest in Inter Milan player Davide Santon, after negotiations between the two clubs failed to reach a positive conclusion.”
Santon has also been the subject of talks involving Crystal Palace over the last seven days, and the Selhurst Park club could now opt to strengthen their own interest in the 25-year-old.
Newcastle fielded Santon as a left-back, but he began his career on the right of the back four and Allardyce regards the right-back berth as his stronger position.
Sunderland are short of right-back options following DeAndre Yedlin’s return to Tottenham at the end of his loan spell, and Santon would have moved ahead of Billy Jones in the pecking order.
The breakdown of talks could see Sunderland make another attempt to sign Yedlin, although they remain reluctant to meet Spurs’ £6m asking price for the USA international.
Allardyce is keen to make significant transfer progress within the next week or so, and is set to step up his pursuit of Diafra Sakho amid suggestions the West Ham striker has submitted a formal transfer request.
Sakho, who did not travel to the United States with the rest of the West Ham squad ahead of a pre-season tour, is hoping to push through a move to Wearside despite Sunderland having a bid of around £11m rejected earlier this month.
West Brom are also interested in signing Sakho, but the 26-year-old striker is understood to prefer a move to the Stadium of Light.
Sunderland will kick off the new campaign with a trip to Manchester City for a game that will represent Pep Guardiola’s first outing as a Premier League boss.
Guardiola presided over his first press conference as Manchester City manager yesterday, and expects next month’s meeting with the Black Cats to provide him with an early crash course in how to survive the challenges of the English game.
“I know how difficult it is here in England,” said the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss. “To find a team to win four, five, six games in a row is not easy. Maybe that’s the challenge.
“Against Sunderland, against Big Sam in the first one, I am sure it will be completely different (to what he has experienced before). Here is another test for my career. It would have been comfortable to stay where I was, but I feel this is the right moment to move here.”
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