Sunderland Signs Defender Nordi Mukiele from PSG for £12m
Sunderland has secured the signing of French defender Nordi Mukiele from Paris Saint-Germain for a fee of £12 million, bringing their total summer spending to approximately £141.5 million.
The 27-year-old has joined the club on a four-year contract, just one day after Sunderland's impressive 3-0 victory over West Ham in their return to the Premier League.
Mukiele, who spent the previous season on loan at Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen, becomes the 12th player to join the Black Cats this summer. The deal includes an initial fee of €11 million (£9.5 million), with an additional €3 million (£2.5 million) in potential add-ons.
"It’s a new challenge and I’m happy to be here," Mukiele expressed. "I experienced the atmosphere of the stadium, and it’s something I really like. The fans are very important in football, especially in Sunderland. I came here to fight for them."
Nottingham Forest currently holds the record for the most transfers by a promoted Premier League club in a single window, with 21 signings at a cost of around £142 million last summer.
Sunderland's new arrivals also include former Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka, winger Simon Adingra from Brighton, and club-record signing Habib Diarra, who was acquired for approximately £30 million from Strasbourg.
This significant investment has been partially offset by notable player sales, including Jobe Bellingham's transfer to Borussia Dortmund and Tom Watson's move to Brighton, which together generated around £37 million.
Burnley has added 13 new players at an estimated cost of £100 million, while Leeds United has invested £73.5 million on their eight signings so far.
Mukiele joined PSG in 2022, where he won five trophies and played alongside Sunderland's new captain, Xhaka, during his loan at Leverkusen, making a total of 24 appearances. He began his career at Stade Lavallois, with subsequent stints at Montpellier and RB Leipzig, and has played in 35 Champions League matches.
Sunderland's sporting director, Kristjaan Speakman, praised Mukiele's "rare athletic qualities that are perfectly suited to our team in the Premier League," highlighting his "tactical versatility" as he is capable of playing both as a centre-back and a right-back.