Sunderland fail in transfer move for 22-goal striker

Sunderland’s first offer of under €1m for Caen striker Alexandre Mendy has been rejected by the French club.

After a disappointing campaign last time out, which saw the Black Cats finish 16th in the table, they are on the lookout for reinforcements in the market to help new boss Regis Le Bris.

Bringing in at least one number nine is sure to be a priority, and reports emerged in the week suggesting that Mendy was a target after his outstanding form in Ligue 2.

Caen reject Sunderland offer for Alexandre Mendy

However, in a fresh development, French media outlet Sporta Caen has revealed that the second tier outfit have turned down two offers for their star man.

The first was from Saudi Arabian club Al Riyadh, who offered in the region of €500,000, whilst a separate bid from the Black Cats, worth almost double that, was also turned down.

Mendy has a contract with Caen until the summer of 2026, so they are under no pressure to cash in this summer, even if potential buyers will hope that stance may change after they failed to win promotion back to the top-flight.

Alexandre Mendy could be just what Sunderland need

Generally, since Kyril Louis-Dreyfus bought Sunderland, the transfer strategy has been the same, as they target young players who can improve and develop at the Stadium of Light.

Even if there have been frustrating moments over the years, it’s an approach that has worked on the whole, with the Wearside outfit having kicked on under the current owner.

Yet, there’s no denying that mistakes were made last season, including with recruitment, and the interest in Mendy could be a sign that Sunderland are taking a more balanced view.

At 30, he is not a long-term answer, but he could fulfil the short-term needs that the team has. Mendy has been consistently prolific in the past few years, which includes scoring 22 goals in 37 games last season in the league.