Nafisa Sunderland Face Saudi Threat in Battle for €20M-Rated Playmaker Hamed Traore
Sunderland’s pursuit of attacking reinforcements has hit a potential snag, with Saudi Pro League side Al Qadsiah entering the race for Bournemouth playmaker Hamed Junior Traore.
The Black Cats, already linked with the Ivorian international, now face growing competition from the Middle East.
According to Italian journalist Gianluigi Longari, Al Qadsiah have formally expressed interest in Traore, who remains under contract with Bournemouth until the summer of 2028. Sunderland’s interest was first reported last month by Corriere dello Sport, with claims that the Cherries would demand a fee in the region of £13.9 million for the 25-year-old midfielder. Transfermarkt, however, currently values the player closer to €20 million.
Jason Jones, writing in the Sunderland Echo, also noted that Traore is attracting serious attention from a host of European clubs, including Fiorentina, Parma, Sassuolo, and Marseille making it clear that the creative midfielder could become a key figure in the current transfer window.
Traore arrived at Bournemouth in January 2023 from Sassuolo in a deal worth approximately €22 million. However, the move hasn’t gone as planned. He’s featured just 13 times for the Cherries and has since been loaned out to Napoli and most recently to French side Auxerre. At Auxerre, he enjoyed a strong season, scoring 10 goals in 26 appearances across all competitions, as per FotMob.
Sunderland’s search for creative midfielders isn’t limited to Traore. The club is also eyeing Leicester City’s rising star Bilal El Khannouss. The 21-year-old Moroccan reportedly has a €26 million release clause, and L’Equipe claims Sunderland are actively working to negotiate that figure down.
However, they face stiff competition, with Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest, and even West Ham previously credited with interest.
As things stand, Sunderland must act quickly and decisively if they want to land Traore or any other marquee midfielder before rivals from both Europe and the Middle East beat them to the punch.
Nafisa
