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Sunderland had hoped to sign Manchester City's Bruno Zuculini on loan until January, with his father saying the move would happen after the Community Shield but that game has come and gone and there is still no sign of the midfielder.
As it turns out, the move for Zuculini has fallen through due to Premier League regulations. The 21-year-old's move to Manchester City was only confirmed last week despite the player playing a full part in the Premier League champions pre-season preparations and according to rule v.7.1 in the Premier League handbook;
a Temporary Transfer to a Club may not take place in the Transfer Window in which the Transferor Club acquired the Player's registration.
The move for Zuculini always looked more beneficial to Manchester City than it did for Sunderland and his transfer falling through allows Sunderland to move for two season-long Premier League loans, rather than needing to find a replacement for Zuculini in January.
Real Betis meanwhile are still chasing Alfred N'Diaye. The Senegalese midfielder had a successful loan spell at the Spanish club in the second half of last season and are hoping to re-sign the midfielder on a permanent basis despite the club being relegated to the second division.
The Spanish club have offered to make N'Diaye the highest paid player at the club on a five-year deal, with clinching the midfielder's signature a priority for Betis. Competition for N'Diaye may come from Elche but Sunderland are pushing for the deal to be completed as soon as possible and that may have received a boost with Damien Perquis, a central defender for Betis, offering the 24-year-old a games console should he sign;
I'll give what you want, such as a Playstation 4, as he's a fan of that.
With Zuculini's move falling through and N'Diaye's future almost certainly away from the Stadium of Light, expect Sunderland to make a move for another central midfielder before the transfer window closes.
Stay tuned to Roker Report throughout the summer as we keep you up to date with all the transfer news and rumours. Also, feel free to keep in touch with our dedicated Transfer Centre, which you can do by CLICKING HERE.
