Exclusive: Sunderland block Noah Sadiki transfer amid Chelsea interest
Sunderland are set to block any possibility of Noah Sadiki leaving in January amid interest from Chelsea and Manchester United, sources have told Football Insider.
The 20-year-old has made an impressive start in the Premier League after his arrival in the summer, and the Black Cats are not willing to entertain a sale in January under any circumstances.
Chelsea and Manchester United both want to sign Sadiki in January, with the Blues having even made contact in recent months, but sources say that the Wearsiders will do “everything in their power” to keep hold of him for as long as possible.
Sadiki joined Sunderland for a fee of £15million in the summer, and it’s understood that they would only entertain a future sale for a “huge profit,” although that isn’t remotely part of their plans right now.
Noah Sadiki to miss up to seven Sunderland games for AFCON
Sadiki’s performances for Sunderland so far this term have attracted plenty of attention across the Premier League, and he has already made his £15m fee look like a bargain.
The Black Cats star has started in every single league game in 2025-26, and has been a huge reason why his team are flying as high as eighth at the moment on their return to the top-flight.
However, Regis Le Bris is now set to face a prolonged period without his star midfielder, as Sadiki is one of several Sunderland stars who is set to miss the next few games for the latest AFCON tournament.
Sadiki has been selected as part of DR Congo’s squad for the upcoming tournament, which begins on 21 December and ends on 18 January.
The midfielder is due to join up with his international teammates this week, and should his country make an unlikely push to the final of the tournament, then he could potentially miss as many as seven games for Sunderland.
Sunderland’s five other AFCON-bound stars
AFCON will cause headaches for almost all Premier League managers, but Le Bris and Sunderland are set to be one of the teams that are most affected.
The newly-promoted outfit are set to lose six players during the tournament, and they may return at staggered intervals, depending on how their nations perform.
Joining Sadiki at the tournament are left-backs Reinildo and Arthur Masuaku, representing Mozambique and DR Congo respectively.
There have also been call-ups for Habib Diarra (Senegal) and Chemsdine Talbi (Morocco), while Burkina Faso’s Bertrand Traore completes the set for Sunderland.
Le Bris will have to find a way of working without that group of stars, otherwise, his team’s strong start to the season could hit the rocks somewhat in the coming weeks.