Report: Sunderland Switch Left Back Targets After Failed Bid

Sunderland have been forced to once again look elsewhere for a left back after failing with a €4.5m bid to sign Zurich defender Loris Benito.

We mentioned that Benito was a player Sunderland were taking a good look at a couple of weeks ago and it seems that interest transitioned into a concrete bid to land the 21-year-old.

There have been widespread reports in England that Valencia's Aly Cissokho was on the verge of ending Paolo Di Canio's summer-long hunt for an attack minded left back, but such claims are thought to be, at the very least, highly premature.

It appears that Benito was the main target, though that deal looks to have ground to a frustratingly familiar halt.

Cissokho was a player that Sunderland looked at and may retain an interest in. However, the Italian press seem fairly adamant that the next target is actually Juventus' Paolo De Ceglie.

The leggy lefty has been deemed surplus to requirements at La Vecchia Signora, and will probably be receptive to a move to England to kick-start a lagging career. No fee was mentioned and, as ever with Sunderland it seems, you wouldn't necessarily rule out a loan deal.

It is all becoming a little frustrating on the left back front really. But it couldn't really hurt to have another PDC around, could it?