Arsenal transfer news: Gunners face unexpected competition for 18-year-old attacker this summer?

Arsenal have reportedly been joined by Sunderland in the race for Bayer Leverkusen attacker Kerim Alajbegovic.

The Gunners are known admirers of the 18-year-old, who is preparing to take to the Toronto stage on Friday night, when Bosnia-Herzegovina play co-hosts Canada in the first match of Group B at this year's World Cup.

Focusing on the North-East of England for a moment, Sunderland have enjoyed an excellent return to the Premier League over the past year, comfortably avoiding a top-flight relegation battle.

Instead, Regis Le Bris's side competed in the top half of the standings for the vast majority of the campaign, with a final-day success over Chelsea at the Stadium of Light securing a seventh-placed finish.

As a result, the Black Cats have qualified for European football for the first time in 53 years and will compete against continental giants in the League Phase of the Europa League next campaign.

Sunderland join Alajbegovic race?

According to TEAMtalk, Arsenal have been joined by Premier League rivals Sunderland in the race for Bayer Leverkusen star Alajbegovic, who is set for a summer of excitement on the World Cup stage.

The teenager was sold to RB Salzburg in July 2025, however, after an impressive campaign in the Austrian Bundesliga, Bayer Leverkusen triggered a £7m buy-back clause in the transfer agreement.

Alajbegovic is supposedly valued at just under £26m - a figure that could rise dramatically depending on whether the 18-year-old and Bosnia shine at the World Cup over the coming weeks.

It is understood that Sunderland have made contact over a potential move for the attacker, with Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea also named as possible Premier League destinations for the player.

There is said to be serious admirers of Alajbegovic elsewhere on the continent, with Serie A giants Roma believed to be a leading contender for the signature of the 10-time Bosnia international.

Sunderland swinging big

Just over a year ago, Sunderland had lost five consecutive matches in the Championship ahead of a playoff campaign which many expected to end in semi-final or Wembley Stadium heartbreak.

Instead, the Black Cats defied the odds and secured a long-awaited return to the Premier League following an eight-year absence, beating a stunned Sheffield United side in the playoff final.

Sunderland spent heavily last summer and continue to swing big in the transfer market as they look to build a squad deep enough to cope with the demands of Europa League football in 2026-27.