Sunderland have made a late move for Tottenham Hotspur defender Kevin Danso who has found game time hard to come by under Roberto De Zerbi.
Spurs are well stocked in defence following the arrival of Marcos Senesi as a free agent after leaving Bournemouth and Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton & Hove Albion for £52 million. De Zerbi handed Micky van de Ven the captain's armband after the Dutchman signed a contract extension.
Cristian Romero departed earlier this summer, joining Atletico Madrid in a £34m deal, but that hasn't changed the situation for Danso. The Austrian has fallen down De Zerbi's pecking order and sat out a 3-0 defeat to Brentford in the Lilywhites' season opener.
Spurs Reject Sunderland's Kevin Danso Offer
Danso came off the bench in Tottenham's much-needed 5-1 thrashing of EFL Championship outfit Charlton Athletic in the Carabao Cup midweek. He scored his first goal for the club before clashing heads with an opposition defender and requiring stitches.
Having only appeared for 25 minutes in that match, it's clear he'll be handed limited first-team opportunities this season. Sunderland have set their sights on the 27-year-old, who joined the North Londoners from French side Lens for £20.9m last summer after spending the second half of the 2024-25 campaign on loan.
According to Sami Mokbel of BBC Sport, Spurs have rejected the Black Cats' offer to sign Danso on a season-long loan. It's unclear whether Regis Le Bris' Wearside outfit will continue pursuing the Austrian ahead of next Tuesday's deadline day.
Danso will be eager to play regularly at this stage of his career, and a move to the Stadium of Light would grant him the chance to play in Europe. Le Bris' men are set for their debut Europa League campaign and have drawn Serie A giants AC Milan in the league phase.
De Zerbi Sends Telling Message to Danso
De Zerbi may well have had Danso in mind after sending a message to players who want out during his pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday's encounter with Newcastle United. He told reporters:
"If you want to leave and you have not found an offer, it's your problem, not mine. I give respect, I kiss you, I hug you and you have to stay calm inside of the dressing room - not speak too much - because the rules have been clear from the beginning and the end. It's not my problem."
Danso has not indicated he wants out and called scoring his first goal for Spurs 'something special'. He has four years left on his contract and put in some impressive displays during last season's run-in.
Tottenham transfer targets
Cody Gakpo - Handed boost for Liverpool star
Iliman Ndiaye - Swap deal involving Richarlison under consideration
Anatoliy Trubin - Benfica goalkeeper emerges as late target
Igor Matanovic - Three-horse race for Freiburg striker
It remains to be seen whether the Lilywhites' stance is that they prefer a sale rather than a loan. With just three days before the transfer window closes, Sunderland must decide whether to return with another offer for the player or look elsewhere.