SUNDERLAND have smashed their club record to bring in highly-rated Gabon midfielder Didier Ndong.

The Black Cats have handed the 22-year-old a five-year deal after Lorient accepted a fee of £13.5m.

Ndong has spent the day on Wearside passing a medical and he becomes David Moyes' seventh signing of the summer since taking over from Sam Allardyce.

Ndong only made 46 appearances for Lorient in Ligue 1 after joining them January last year.

He said: “I am very proud and happy to sign for Sunderland. This is a new adventure for me and to play in the Premier League is a dream come true.

“Maybe the Sunderland fans don’t know me yet, but I promise that they will quickly discover that I will give everything for them and the club.

"It will be an honour to wear the Sunderland shirt and I will wear it with a true understanding of what it means.

“I am excited to meet everyone at the club, to see the stadium and of course the fans, who I have heard so many good things about. Today is the most beautiful day of my life.”

Ndong is a right-footed central midfielder and started his career with Tunisian club CS Sfaxien, where he made 40 appearances for the club that led to him moving to Lorient.

Sunderland are still working on other deals, with Norwich City forward Steven Naismith and French midfielder Yann M'Vila two of the most likely arrivals.