Sunderland’s Move for Former Fulham Star Blocked by Coach

A promising signing attempt by Sunderland after their promotion to the Premier League sought to secure one of the most coveted players in Serie A.

Everything seemed to indicate that Sunderland were fully committed to the signing of a fantastic player from Napoli, but the agreement ultimately failed because the Serie A side’s coach, Antonio Conte, did not allow the departure of this exceptional footballer.

Sunderland’s failure in their attempt to sign Frank Zambo Anguissa

One of the most respected football journalists today, Fabrizio Romano, explained why Sunderland did not manage to sign Frank Zambo Anguissa. The interest from the Premier League team was very concrete.

Due to his excellent performance with Napoli, which helped them win the Serie A title, Sunderland hoped to sign both Granit Xhaka and Frank Zambo Anguissa, but the plan failed resoundingly.

The 29-year-old player was interested in taking on a new challenge after winning the league with Napoli, but, according to reports, Antonio Conte was determined to retain the midfielder at all costs.

Sunderland made an offer for Zambo Anguissa during the summer transfer window. Nothing materialized because Antonio Conte strongly expressed his desire to keep Anguissa. Conte’s opinion was very influential in Napoli’s internal decisions and in convincing Anguissa to stay.

Anguissa remains a vital player for Napoli, known for his defensive qualities more than offensive ones, a crucial factor, as defensive strength is one of the most important aspects of the Premier League.

The player felt comfortable at Napoli, but was open to the idea of a new challenge. Having previously played for Fulham, he could have adapted well to wearing the Black Cats’ shirt.

Regis Le Bris wanted to build a dream team to compete in the Premier League, and although Sunderland have had a positive performance so far, the coach knows that there is still much work to do if they want to survive in the most competitive league in the world.

According to Transfermarkt, the market value of Zambo Anguissa was around €27 million. Despite the interest, the transfer never materialized.

And it does not seem that Sunderland will try again to sign the Serie A midfielder, so it will remain a signing that could have been a bombshell in the Premier League.