According to reports, Sunderland are ready to give stiff competition to Leicester City in their race to sign Sassuolo defender Francesco Acerbi. Leicester City have already put a deal on the table and apparently, they have been told to come with a better offer for the in-form defender.
La Gazzetta dello Sport states that now the Foxes have Sunderland and West Bromwich Albion to beat in their quest for the highly- rated defender. Getting a good centre-half is a very rare occurrence for any club during the winter transfer window and the fact that Sassuolo have asked Leicester to come with something better, indicates that they are willing to let go of him if a suitable offer comes.
The player too has stated that he is ready to part ways with his current club and prove his mettle in a bigger and better league. His stint at Milan was something he would like to forget and the only way to do that is by performing well somewhere else. He said in an interview, “After failing in Milan, which was my own fault, I want to see if I can perform in a big club. I’m sure I can do it, sure I can establish myself in one.”
Since signing for Sassuolo in 2013, the 28-year-old Italian has made himself a regular in the side over the years and is currently enjoying an impressive spell, drawing interest from many clubs across Europe. He has already scored twice in his 17 appearances for the club. But Sassuolo isn’t the club he could flourish at. The Italian side are currently 16th in Serie A table and lack depth to challenge for bigger and better things.
With a club like Sunderland and manager like David Moyes, he could be rightly nurtured and might turn out to be a great signing. The fact that Claudio Ranieri is desperate to bring him in Leicester speaks volumes about the player.
Acerbi has come up through the ranks of Pavia, Reggina, Genoa, Chievo Verona, Genoa, a loan spell at AC Milan and then Sassuolo. A defender of such a vast experience could be an impactful addition to the Black Cats side. With good game reading abilities and a knack for timely ball interceptions, Acerbi is a compact defender for the Premier League.
Sunderland are looking to be quite confident up front with Fabio Borini returning alongside Jermaine Defoe. It is their backline, which is concerning at the moment. With Lamine Kone, one of their main enforcers, leaving for the African Cup of Nations, Moyes would like to have someone who could hold the ship steady.
