Jhon Lucumi Picks Leeds United Over Sunderland After €22m Bid
If you thought Sunderland were about to pull off a major coup with Jhon Lucumi, you might want to hit the brakes. The Bologna defender isn’t heading north – instead, he has his eyes fixed on Leeds United as talks heat up for a move to the Premier League.
Here’s how this transfer saga shook out. Sunderland went all in with an offer pushing €22 million (including bonuses), almost matching Bologna’s €25 million tag. That would be enough to turn most heads. But not Lucumi’s. Despite the money on the table, the 27-year-old Colombian international wants Premier League action, and it’s Leeds who are talking business with his camp.
Lucumi’s decision probably won’t surprise fans who’ve seen the steady stream of links tying him to England’s top tier – Liverpool, Chelsea, and Spurs have all been mentioned. But it’s Leeds who seem the most serious, getting ‘contacts’ underway as Daniel Farke and the club’s recruitment team try to wrap up another defensive deal.
Leeds United’s Summer Shopping Spree Shows No Sign of Slowing Down
Elland Road has already seen a few new faces this window, especially at centre-back with Jaka Bijol and Sebastiaan Bornauw signed up. You might wonder why Leeds still have eyes on another defender. It’s simple: after letting Max Wöber go and with the step up to the Premier League looming, the club is determined to give itself every tool it needs to avoid another survival scrap.
They’ve hardly skimped elsewhere, either. German midfielder Anton Stach and striker Lukas Nmecha headline a handful of attacking signings designed to inject some bite and creativity. Still, inside the club, all the noise is about beefing up the back line. Fans want reassurances that last year’s leaky defence won’t return now that the stakes are higher.
For Lucumi, a move to Yorkshire wouldn’t just mean joining another team – it’s a shot at testing himself against players like Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah every week. Leeds clearly value that Serie A experience and his reputation for being strong in the challenge. At 27, he isn’t just someone to fill a gap – he could become the core of a defensive overhaul.
Negotiations are still ongoing, and transfer windows are rarely straightforward. But right now, the wind is blowing towards Elland Road, and Lucumi’s agents know that time is ticking. If things fall into place, Leeds fans could see a powerful new defender taking to the pitch as they try to cement their place back at the top level.
