Sunderland failed with a late move to sign Nantes striker Matthis Abline on deadline day.
Reports from the French outlet Ouest France via Emmanuel Merceron indicate that both Sunderland and Newcastle United showed interest in the 22-year-old forward in the final hours of the transfer window. However, neither club submitted an official offer, and the move never really materialised.
Sunderland made a late push, and Newcastle made enquiries. Abline has been linked with Leeds United as well.
Sunderland keen on Matthis Abline
Abline has been on the radar of Sunderland for some time, with sporting director Kristjaan Speakman and head coach Régis Le Bris aiming to add to their attacking options before the transfer deadline.
The Black Cats previously had an offer in the region of £17.25 million rejected for the player, with Nantes believed to be holding out for a fee closer to £43.3 million. Other interested parties included Marseille, Lille, and Newcastle.
The striker had a breakthrough campaign last season, scoring nine goals in Ligue 1 and playing an important role in France’s U21 squad that made it to the European Championship semi-finals.
There is no doubt that he is a talented young player with a bright future, and he could’ve been a quality long-term investment for Sunderland. They have secured promotion to the Premier League, and they want to stay in the top flight. They need quality in order to match up to the elite clubs.
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Newcastle wanted to sign Abline
Matthis Abline of U21 France during the UEFA European Under-21 Championship (Photo by Christian Hofer/Getty Images)
Meanwhile, Newcastle needed attacking depth as well. They have managed to sign two quality strikers before the window closed, but the young Frenchman would have been a superb investment as well. It will be interesting to see if either of the two Premier League clubs decide to return for the player in the near future. The asking price seems quite expensive, and Nantes might have to be more reasonable with their demands.
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