Sunderland have made a loan move for Tottenham Hotspur centre-back Kevin Danso, which has been rejected.
Sunderland have seen a loan offer rejected by Tottenham Hotspur for central defender Kevin Danso within the summer transfer window.
On Friday evening, reports emerged from BBC Sport reporter Sami Mokbel that Spurs dodged the season-long loan proposal despite the 36-time capped Austrian international expected to have little contention to start under Roberto De Zerbi this season.
With Spurs having signed central defensive duo Marcos Senesi and Jan Paul van Hecke, and Micky van de Ven penning a new long-term deal this summer, the move to the Stadium of Light would have offered Danso more opportunities for minutes.
27-year-old defender Danso made his first appearance of the season for De Zerbi’s side in their 5-1 Carabao Cup victory over Charlton Athletic during the week, entering the fray for a 25-minute cameo in the second-half.
Spurs signed from RC Lens in 2025 for £20.9m in last year’s summer window after he joined initially on loan in the January window, and the Austrian has since gone on to make 53 appearances for the London outfit.
Following the loan bid rejection, it now appears to be up to Sunderland to return with an improved transfer offer for Danso with the possibility of a permanent deal, or move on to other targets in the centre-back position.
Chelsea's Joao Pedro in action with Tottenham Hotspur's Kevin Danso (REUTERS)Sunderland Push To Add Centre-Back Before Window Shuts
With the Danso transfer revelation, it is evident that Sunderland are looking to strengthen in the defensive department of Regis Le Bris’ squad before the window’s September 1 deadline.
Earlier in the window, Sunderland were interested in Bosnian centre-back Tarik Muharemovic, who completed a £34.1m move to Leeds United from Sassuolo, and has since impressed in his first two outings for Daniel Farke’s side.
Having been linked with several centre-halves now this summer, there is a clear indication from the Stadium of Light hierarchy that this position needs improvement, and this was unfortunately noticeable on opening weekend.
Sunderland fell to a 2-1 defeat to Ipswich Town on Saturday, and, within that, the glaring errors from Luke O’Nien and Omar Alderete, which led to the two goals, showed that the Black Cats currently have some frailties in the central defensive positions.
Danso would have offered strength in depth, Premier League proven qualities and experience in European competitions to the Sunderland squad, which would have been a substantial benefit for Le Bris this season.
Now, it appears that Sunderland are exploring other options for defensive reinforcements before the transfer window concludes, with the onus on the current Black Cats centre-backs to return to form in the meantime.
