Sunderland announce signing of Le Havre midfielder El-Hadji Ba

The French youngster signs a three-year contract

Sunderland have confirmed they have completed a deal for Le Havre midfielder El-Hadji Ba.

The France Under-20 international has signed a three-year deal at the Stadium of Light and becomes the seventh man to join the club since the end of last season.

He has already joined up with his new team-mates and manager Paolo Di Canio at their training camp in Italy.

A product of Le Havre's youth set-up, Ba broke into the first team set-up at the beginning of 2012 and went on to make 12 league appearances.

He follows Valentin Roberge, Modibo Diakite, Cabral, Jozy Altidore, David Moberg Karlsson and Duncan Watmore into the club, and the list of newcomers could be boosted further within the next 24 hours.

Argentinian club Velez Sarsfield have confirmed full-back Gino Peruzzi will head for England tomorrow with a view to completing his move to Sunderland.

In a statement on their official website, http://www.selezsarsfield.com.ar, they revealed they have finally agreed a deal with the Black Cats for the 21-year-old's signature.

The statement said: "Velez Sarsfield and Sunderland Association Football Club have reached an agreement to transfer the player Gino Peruzzi."

Velez say the player and two club officials will head for the Stadium of Light tomorrow in a bid to finalise the transfer.

The news will come as a major boost to manager Paolo Di Canio after it appeared that the proposed deal had stalled earlier this week.

Velez vice-president Julio Baldomar claimed that Peruzzi had rejected the personal terms offered by the Black Cats, although fresh discussions appear to have solved whatever problem there was.

The full-back berths have been high on Di Canio's wish-list this summer with left-back Danny Rose having returned to parent club Tottenham after a successful loan spell and Phil Bardsley seemingly surplus to requirements.

Sunderland missed out on highly-rated Le Havre teenager Benjamin Mendy when he opted to join Marseille instead, but they look to have landed Peruzzi to tick another of the manager's boxes.

Meanwhile, reports from Italy claim they are also close to striking a deal for Juventus midfielder Emanuele Giaccherini.

PA