Emanuele Giaccherini to stay at Sunderland

Sunderland midfielder Emanuele Giaccherini wants to stay at the club, according to his agent.

The 30-year-old has struggled with form and injuries at the Stadium of Light since arriving from Juventus in 2013, but Furio Valcareggi insists he will shine under Dick Advocaat.

“Sunderland have kept Advocaat as manager. He’s a very good one, a guru of football, and with him Giaccherini can be a genius,” Valcareggi told journalists at a fashion event.

“I’m sure Giaccherini will do very well next season,” he added. “He will 100 per cent remain at Sunderland.”

Giaccherini made just 12 Premier League appearances last season in an injury-hit campaign, but his agent says the Italian is not looking to leave Wearside.

“Although we had some interest last winter, we decided to believe in the project of the English club.”  

Despite his problems at club-level, Valcareggi says his client is also targeting a return to the Italy squad: “His goal is the European Championships [next summer in France]”.

The last of Giaccherini’s 21 international caps came in a 2-0 win over Norway last September, but the winger was included in a training camp before last week’s game against Croatia.

“Emanuele was very pleased to return to the Azzurri,” Valcareggi said.

“He was also calm when [Italy manager Antonio] Conte decided not to put him in the squad after the training camp, because he had only played for 20 minutes in the last six months, and that was against Chelsea with the team [Sunderland] already safe.”

Sunderland will begin their 2014/15 Premier League campaign at Leicester City.