SUNDERLAND have agreed the terms of a deal for Lazio defender Modibo Diakite.

Diakite, who joined Lazio after emerging through the youth academy of Italian Serie B team Pescara, will move to Wearside as a free agent.

His current deal with Lazio is due to expire at the end of next month, and he has agreed to move to the Stadium of Light despite competing interest from clubs in Turkey and Greece.

Diakite is the third free agent to have agreed to join Sunderland this week, with the club also having reached an agreement with Swiss midfielder Cabral and French defender Valentin Roberge.

Sunderland officials are also in talks with a fourth free agent, El-Hadji Ba, and are confident of adding the French midfielder to their ranks as well this summer.