Sunderland ‘hope to finalise’ signing – West Ham also interested, Black Cats ahead…

Sunderland is aiming to finalize the signing – West Ham is also showing interest, with the Black Cats in the lead.

Sunderland AFC is ahead of Monaco and West Ham in the transfer competition for Leicester City’s £35k-a-week star, Bilal El Khannouss.

Both Sunderland and West Ham United are contenders to acquire Leicester City’s Bilal El Khannouss this summer.

Sunderland is currently in the lead to secure Bilal El Khannouss, who is not keen on remaining at Leicester in the Championship. Monaco and West Ham have also expressed interest.

Sunderland has reached out to Leicester City regarding the availability of Bilal El Khannouss this summer.

As reported by L’Equipe, the Black Cats are keen on securing a deal for the Moroccan playmaker as they prepare for their Premier League campaign.

The attacking midfielder joined Leicester towards the end of the previous season, signing a contract that extends until 2028. However, following the Foxes’ relegation from the top tier, he is not interested in playing in the Championship this season.

Sunderland and West Ham could provide the Leicester player with an opportunity to leave during this transfer window.

According to L’Equipe, the Black Cats have made an approach to the 21-year-old. Additionally, West Ham and AS Monaco have also initiated contact to attempt to sign him.

The Ligue 1 club will need to offload one of their players before they can make a move for the former KRC Genk player. Despite the interest from West Ham and Monaco, the report indicates that Sunderland appears to have an advantage in the transfer race.

L’Equipe reports that Sunderland’s director of football, Florent Ghisolfi, is spearheading the pursuit, and Régis Le Bris’ team ‘hopes to finalize’ the deal for the Moroccan international. The report does not specify the fee required to persuade Leicester or their position on allowing the player to leave.

El Khannouss scored three goals and provided five assists in 36 appearances for Leicester last season.

The talented 21-year-old played a significant role in their top-flight campaign last year, contributing two goals and three assists in the league as Leicester faced relegation back to the Championship, finishing in 18th place.

Reports indicate that Sunderland is currently at the forefront of the pursuit to acquire El Khannouss from Leicester this summer.

Nevertheless, they are contending with interest from clubs such as AS Monaco and West Ham, suggesting a potential transfer in this window.

Although the forward is contracted with the Championship team until 2028, it is understood that he is not keen on playing in the second tier.

Claims have surfaced that inquiries have been made, with earlier reports this summer suggesting that a reasonable release clause was included in his contract.

The exact amount of this release clause remains uncertain, but Leicester invested £21 million to bring him on board just a year ago, which may provide insight into any potential fee in the current market.

Since gaining promotion to the Premier League, Sunderland has already secured six signings and may now target El Khannouss as their seventh acquisition.