Florian Gissoufi, the sporting director of English club Sunderland, acknowledged the existence of official communications from Al-Ittihad Saudi Club's management to sign Moroccan player Shamseddine Talbi this summer.
The Jeddah-based club is seeking to strengthen its attacking line, especially following the departure of French winger Moussa Diaby to German side Bayer Leverkusen.
According to the Saudi newspaper "Okaz," Sunderland's sporting director confirmed that there have been official contacts from Al-Ittihad to sign Talbi, but no formal agreement or official offer has yet been made by the "Tigers" management.
The Sunderland sporting director added in his statements to "Okaz" that the 21-year-old wishes to join Al-Ittihad this summer, emphasizing that the "Black Cats" management will not allow the player to leave unless a suitable financial offer is received.
Talbi's market value is estimated at 25 million euros according to the global website "Transfermarkt." He joined Sunderland last summer from Belgian club Club Brugge, and his contract runs until the summer of 2030.
The Sunderland sporting director noted that Talbi received offers from clubs including Leipzig, Marseille, and Fiorentina, along with interest from Turkish side Galatasaray, but the player rejected all offers.
The Moroccan winger participated in 28 English Premier League matches last season, scoring four goals and providing two assists.
Al-Ittihad is preparing for an important league match tomorrow evening, Saturday, against Al-Nassr in Jeddah, as part of the fifth round fixtures.
