Premier League And Serie A Clubs Do Battle For Serie B Star

The European soccer transfer merry-go-round is gaining momentum, and the Italian province of Emilia Romagna is once again one of Italy’s hotbeds when it comes to unearthing huge talents for bargain prices.

As usual, Premier League clubs are ready to swoop in.

Despite being heavily linked with a move to Sunderland, Armand Laurienté could still make the 40-mile move from Sassuolo to Bologna.

But that might require a tiny calcio miracle, with Laurienté reportedly leaving Italy to undergo his medical for Sunderland.

On Friday, the transfer market mind games were in full swing when Sassuolo CEO Giovanni Carnevali claimed that the deal is “almost done” with the newly-promoted Premier League side.

“The player is on his way for medicals, and we’ve already reached an agreement with Sunderland,” Carnevali told guests at the United Charity Gala dinner on Friday. “We’re in the final stages; I think we’ll make everything official tomorrow or Sunday.”

The pressure was always building on Bologna sporting director Giovanni Sartori, who had to be decisive to poach the Frenchman in time.

Laurienté is seeking a new challenge after three restless seasons at Sassuolo, which began brilliantly in 2022-23 (7 goals, 6 assists in Serie A) before taking an unexpected downward spiral when the club suffered relegation in 2024.

Still, the Frenchman stuck around and took Serie B by the scruff of the neck, scoring 18 league goals to win the Paolo Rossi (top scorer) award ahead of Spezia starlet Francesco Pio Esposito (17), while comfortably beating his Neroverdi teammates Nicholas Pierini (10) and Samuele Mulattieri (9).

With five assists to boot, it’s no wonder Bologna is keen, but that was dependent on Sartori shifting wantaway winger Dan Ndoye for a price believed to be higher than $41 million.

Napoli were frontrunners for Ndoye’s signature, but then instead bought Noa Lang from PSV Eindhoven for $29 million.

Premier League or Serie A?

Having proved himself in both Serie A and Serie B, Laurienté is wanted by new Sunderland sporting director Florent Ghisolfi, who joined the Black Cats this summer after a quickfire stint at Roma last term.

But at Bologna, Lauriente’s pace, presence of mind, and ruthlessness in front of goal make him the perfect candidate to replace Ndoye and uphold Vincenzo Italiano’s attack-minded philosophy. It was this lethal combination of attributes that caught the eye of Carnevali, who signed the 26-year-old from Ligue 1 outfit Lorient in 2022 for $11 million.

At the time, Sassuolo had cashed in on a number of their best attackers when they sold Gianluca Scamacca to West Ham ($44M), Hamed Traore to Bournemouth ($29M), and Giacomo Raspadori to Napoli ($33M).

Despite losing such names, Alessio Dionisi’s side transitioned seamlessly as Laurienté combined spectacularly with Domenico Berardi to ensure survival during a rollercoaster campaign. The following summer, plenty of enquiries arrived for the French U21 international.

In turn, Napoli were close to signing Laurienté in 2023, but negotiations broke down as Aurelio De Laurentiis prioritised securing replacements for defender Kim min-Jae, sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli and coach Luciano Spalletti.

Laurienté had also piqued the interest of Roma and Besiktas at the time, but he remained at the Mapei Stadium to partner Berardi and Andrea Pinamonti in attack.

Following Berardi’s knee injury which kept him out for 21 top-tier matches, coach Dionisi was sacked in March after just one win in 13, and relegation was confirmed on match day 37, ending the club’s 11-year spell in Serie A.

Laurienté’s versatility in attack

Maurauding in from either wing, Laurienté’s best position is on the left. Following 45 career goals and 28 assists in 197 league matches, this is the perfect time for Sassuolo to cash in. Carnevali can ask a higher price if he sells this summer instead of next, as there are only two years remaining on Laurienté’s current deal, which expires in 2027.

Bologna’s interest in Laurienté is expected to waver if negotiations fall through in Naples for Ndoye, given that the reigning Serie A champions have announced the arrival of Noa Lang from PSV Eindhoven. Effectively, the Dutchman operates anywhere across the frontline – a carbon copy of Laurienté – whereas Ndoye is strictly a wide man.

Nottingham Forest have entered negotiations to take the Swiss international to England, but Sartori is unwilling to lower his asking price, an issue that also deterred Napoli.

The other option for Sartori is to buy Laurienté and shift Ndoye in January or during next year’s World Cup.

Destination Turkey?

Fenerbahçe, managed by José Mourinho, had also made enquiries for Laurienté amidst their off-field dramas involving Jhon Duran (who replaced Bologna-bound Ciro Immobile).

However, The Special One is reportedly seeking a move away from Istanbul after realising the gap between Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray is too big, throwing a proverbial spanner in the works.

How Much?

Sassuolo are seeking offers of over $23 million. But even if a club is willing to pay such a fee, the Serie B champions will find it difficult to find someone with his unique attacking style. Laurienté dominated last season, exploiting his opponents by lurking freely in the half spaces and using his superior stride to latch onto long balls in transition.

The ideal situation for both the player and the club would be a transfer to local side Bologna, where Laurienté would immediately settle in a nearby city and, more importantly, Vincenzo Italiano’s attack-focused system.

If Ndoye is sold, Sartori knows Italiano will need reinforcements for their Coppa Italia title defence and foray into the Europa League, a competition in which Laurienté would make his debut if the move materialises.

If Sunderland coach Régis Le Bris does indeed sign Laurienté over the weekend, Carnevali can move quickly to fill the vacancy in Sassuolo, with free agent Lorenzo Insigne, Como’s Alieu Fadera and Inter’s Tajon Buchanan all shortlisted.

“Laurienté’s departure will bring us around €20 million ($23M), a figure that will allow us to make useful investments to be able to face the league,” Carnevali added. “We’ll have to find some alternatives, because there’s still a long way to go in the market.”