JUST IN: £3.5M ACE NEWCASTLE WANTED IN 2022 COULD NOW JOIN SUNDERLAND INSTEAD

Alan Virginius, a winger for Lille, is apparently interested in joining Sunderland, one year after he expressed doubts about joining their Premier League rivals, Newcastle United, in the North East.

As they say, hindsight is a wonderful thing. And how Alan Virginius must wish that he had seen a peek of what lay ahead when he chose to sign with Lille instead of, say, Newcastle United.

According to Le10 Sport, Newcastle expressed interest in Virginius in the 2020 summer. Likewise, Club Brugge, Anderlecht, and Bayer Leverkusen.

Eventually signing a contract with Lille, the then-Sochaux sensation decided to stay in France and further his career, apparently hoping to continue where Eden Hazard, Nicolas Pepe, Rafael Leao, and company left off.

Sunderland now want Alan Virginius

However, Virignius’ tenure in Lille is evidence that even Les Dogues, a team with such a stellar record when it comes to finding attacking gems, don’t always get it right. With just 71 minutes of Ligue 1 football played in 2023–24, Virginius has been more of a fools’ gold if Hazard was the jewel in Lille’s crown.

I now feel that a departure before the end of the month is likely.

It’s possible that he’ll play for another team. He will find it extremely challenging to play here, according to Lille manager Paulo Fonsenca. “He’s not old. He must play.

“I talked to him, and I believe playing for another club is the best course of action.”

Newcastle face Sunderland in FA Cup 3rd round

Foot Mercato reports that a Sunderland team that had their £4.3 million deal turned down in August is showing interest once more (RMC Sport). The player, who was on the verge of joining a North East powerhouse a year and a half ago, is now a target for their fiercest competitors.

Sunderland has recently made a lot of purchases in the Ligue 1 market. From clubs on the opposite side of the Channel, Timothee Pembele, Eduard Michut, Eliezer Mayenda, Abdoullah Ba, Adil Aouchiche, and Isaac Lihadji all joined the Black Cats.

This Saturday, Sunderland will defeat Newcastle in the third round of the Tyne Wear FA Cup. Furthermore, it is not impossible that a player who was previously under the Magpies’ radar will now be sporting the red-and-white stripes  of thier neighbours before the month is out.