Sunderland wins the race to sign 25-year-old star centre-back Ahmet Gurleyen amidst competition from Championship clubs
Sunderland wins the race to sign 25-year-old star centre-back Ahmet Gurleyen amidst competition from Championship clubs
The Black Cats are among other Championship clubs targeting Hansa Rostock centre-back Ahmet Gurleyen, German outlet Fussball Transfers has claimed.
Sunderland are currently laser focused on their bid for a return to Premier League football. SAFC sit 4th in the Championship table and have been firmly in the fight for automatic promotion.
The Black Cats’ top two bid was dealt a blow on Monday night though. After holding a 1-0 lead for much of their clash with Leeds United, they were undone by two Pascal Struijk goals late on.
Nevertheless, Regis Le Bris’ side remain in a good position, and while on-pitch matters will be their priority, those behind the scenes will have eyes on potential recruits too.
Now, according to reports in Germany, one player on the Sunderland radar is centre-back Ahmet Gurleyen.
It is claimed by Fussball Transfers that SAFC are among the sides in the Championship keeping an eye on the 25-year-old amid his performances for Hansa Rostock.
Gurleyen only joined the club, who play in Germany’s third-tier, last summer. He’s under contract until the end of the 2026/27 season and has played at a number of levels in the German game since coming through the FSV Mainz academy.
More on Gurleyen
Gurleyen, who is of Turkish descent, played for a number of academies in his youth but made his breakthrough with FSV Mainz.
The rumoured Sunderland target played once for their first-team and gained experience out on loan with FC Liefering and SC Wehen Wiesbaden, eventually joining the latter permanently in 2021.
Two years there were following by a stint at FC Nuremberg, but he only stayed with the 2. Bundesliga side for a season before his switch to current club Hansa Rostock.
Gurleyen has played 26 times this season, chipping in with one goal.
Setting sights higher at Sunderland?
The link with Gurleyen is certainly a left-field one but given his fairly limited pedigree and the level he is playing at now, it would make him a pretty surprising Sunderland signing.
At 25, he’s not a young prospect yet to be uncovered, nor is he someone who has played at a higher level that would bring valuable experience to the SAFC ranks.
It feels like the sights have been set higher at the Stadium of Light over the past two transfer windows, so time will tell if anything comes of the claimed interest in Gurleyen.
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