Sunderland on Tuesday announced the signing of Senegal international Habib Diarra for a club-record £30m deal from Strasbourg.
Diarra has penned a five-year contract to move to the Stadium of Light, becoming Sunderland’s second signing of the summer following the arrival of Enzo Le Fee from Roma.
“I’m happy and excited to become a Black Cat and I can’t wait to discover the Stadium of Light and its fans,” he told the club website.
“Everyone saw last season’s success and I guarantee that I’ll give everything for this team and fight for these colours in the Premier League. I’m ready for this challenge and I can’t wait to get started.”
The 21-year-old, who captained his boyhood club Strasbourg last season, made 33 appearances in all competitions. He scored four goals and provided five assists to help the club finish seventh in Ligue 1, securing European football for the second time in two decades.
A former France youth international, he switched his allegiance to Senegal and made his debut in March 2024, scoring four goals in 11 appearances since.
Diarra, who scored in a 3-2 friendly win over England at the City Ground last month, is the sixth Senegalese to play for Sunderland, joining El-Hadji Diouf and Alfred N’Diaye, among others.
The Black Cats beat Leeds United in the Championship playoff to secure a return to the Premier League for the first time since 2016-17. They will kick off their 2025-26 campaign at home against West Ham United on 16 August.
