Sunderland complete club-record £30m Diarra move

Sunderland have signed midfielder Habib Diarra from Strasbourg for a club-record transfer fee of £30m.

The Black Cats are preparing for their first Premier League campaign since 2016-17 but lost talismanic midfielder Jobe Bellingham to Borussia Dortmund last month.

They have moved swiftly to source a replacement, spending the entire fee they received for Bellingham on Diarra, who was previously linked with Aston Villa, Brentford and Leeds United.

Diarra, who scored in Senegal’s 3-1 friendly win over England three weeks ago, has signed a five-year contract at the Stadium of Light.

The 21-year-old has succeeded Enzo Le Fee as the most expensive player in the club’s history, after he made his loan move from Roma permanent for around £20m.

Diarra told the club’s website: “I’m happy and excited to become a Black Cat and I can’t wait to discover the Stadium of Light and its fans.

“Everyone saw last season’s success and I guarantee that I’ll give everything for this team and fight for these colours in the Premier League. I’m ready for this challenge and I can’t wait to get started.”

Diarra scored four goals and provided five assists in 30 Ligue 1 appearances last season, also creating 27 chances, a figure that ranked joint-fourth among Strasbourg players.

Sunderland open their Premier League campaign at home to West Ham on August 16.