SUNDERLAND'S signing spree continued last night as they agreed terms with Lazio centre-half Modibo Diakite.

Diakite, who is a 26-year-old Frenchman of Malian descent, has become the third free agent to agree to join the Black Cats this week.

The club cannot officially confirm the signings until the end of next month, but Diakite will join Swiss midfielder Cabral and French defender Valentin Roberge in Sunderland's squad for the start of pre-season training in July.

Having emerged through the youth system of Italian Serie B side Pescara, Diakite joined Lazio for 300,000 Euros in 2006.

He has made 83 senior appearances for the Serie A side over the course of six seasons, but only really became a regular presence in the club's first-team squad two years ago.

Prior to that, he suffered a serious leg injury that left him sidelined for almost a year.

His current contract is due to expire at the end of next month, and Lazio informed him earlier this year that he would not be offered a new deal at the Stadio Olimpico.

He was interesting a number of clubs in Turkey and Greece, but Sunderland declared their interest a couple of weeks ago and talks have swiftly been concluded.

The same is true of Cabral and Roberge, with Sunderland adopting a completely different philosophy to the one they followed under Steve Bruce and Martin O'Neill.

Most of their signings under that duo were from the domestic market, but Ellis Short has been keen to switch the club's attention to Europe in the belief that it is possible to get much better value for money on the continent.

The appointment of Paolo Di Canio was part of the process of changing the club's scouting and recruitment methods, and it is telling that this week's transfer activity has coincided with the impending arrival of new head of scouting, Valentino Angeloni.

Angeloni has previously worked with Udinese and Inter Milan, and is credited with bringing through the likes of Alexis Sanchez, David Pizarro, Vicenzo Iaquinta and former Sunderland striker Asamoah Gyan.

He will work alongside incoming director of football, Roberto De Fanti, and further strengthen the Italian core at the heart of Di Canio's backroom staff.

With the likes of Pop Robson and Craig Liddle having left their posts at the Academy of Light, Sunderland's continental transformation is now well advanced, as reflected by the type of players they have been targeting this month.

A fourth free agent, French midfielder El-Hadji Ba, has also been in discussions, and while a deal is still to be finalised, it is expected that he too will be spending next season at the Stadium of Light.

Ba, a France under-20 international, has had a tour of Sunderland's training ground, and is understood to have agreed to join the Black Cats despite competing interest from a number of clubs in France and Germany.

The Black Cats are expected to make more than half-a-dozen signings this summer, but they face a battle to land Fenerbahce winger Milos Krasic.

Sunderland are one of a number of clubs to have outlined their interest in the 28-year-old, but Krasic has subsequently spelled out a desire to remain with his Turkish employers.

"My wish at the end of the season was to stay at Fenerbahce," said Krasic. "Their fans have always been good to me. Fenerbahce is a great club and I want to pay my debt to them.

"If Fenerbahce have a large number of new players incoming and then they decide they no longer want me, then I will consider a loan or transfer."

The Wearsiders have also identified Celtic goalkeeper Fraser Forster as their preferred back-up option should Simon Mignolet leave this summer.

Di Canio remains determined to keep Mignolet on Wearside despite sustained interest from Arsenal, but potential alternatives have been discussed and former Newcastle United goalkeeper Forster is currently at the front of the queue.

However, there will be no formal contact about the Hexham-born shot-stopper until Mignolet's future is decided.