Sunderland transfer news: Black Cats to blow Celtic 'out of water' in midfielder race

Sunderland have reportedly moved ahead of Celtic in the race for Schalke 04 midfielder Soufian El-Faouzi.

The Black Cats are concluding the campaign in modest fashion, playing out a goalless draw against Michael Carrick's Manchester United on the weekend, with the Red Devils already guaranteed Champions League football next term.

Thoughts are beginning to drift towards the summer trading point for Regis Le Bris's side, who have supposedly opted against bringing Netherlands international Lutsharel Geertruida back to the club permanently.

Sunderland are said to have a £20m option to purchase the 25-year-old right-back from RB Leipzig this summer, however, the North-East giants are set to focus their recruitment attentions elsewhere.

Tipped by pundits and supporters alike for a relegation battle, the Black Cats have been nowhere near bottom-three worries this term and currently sit in 12th spot, 12 points ahead of 18th-placed West Ham United.

Sunderland ahead of Celtic in midfielder race?

According to Football Insider, Sunderland are interested in securing the services of Schalke midfielder Soufian El-Faouzi during the upcoming summer transfer window, when big money is expected to spent again at the Stadium of Light.

The report claims that the Premier League side have moved ahead of Scottish giants Celtic and Rangers in the race for the 23-year-old, who recently helped his German employers seal promotion back to the Bundesliga.

Preparing for a season at the top table of their domestic scene, Schalke are supposedly looking to retain the talents of El-Faouzi this summer, demanding at least £10m for the goalscoring midfielder.

It is understood that English teams Sunderland and Brentford possess the financial muscle to beat Celtic and Rangers in a bidding war, reducing the chances of a Scottish Premiership transfer.

As well as clubs on the British Isles, there are also said to be admirers of El-Faouzi across Europe, with Bologna of Serie A and Rennes of Ligue 1 in France chasing the signature of the German.

The Gelsenkirchen Gentlemen

As recently as 2024, El-Faouzi was plying his trade in the second team of Fortuna Dusseldorf, featuring in Regionalliga - a level equivalent to England's League Two in the German football pyramid.

A breakthrough campaign at Alemannia Aachen in the third division led to a summer 2025 switch to fallen giants Schalke, who have ended their three-year absence from the Bundesliga with promotion in 2025-26.

Scoring two goals and providing five assists from a deep-lying midfield role this term, El-Faouzi was a standout star for the Gelsenkirchen club, leading to plenty of interest from the Premier League.