Sunderland are in multiple transfer headlines as we near deadline day.
Sunderland have a few irons in the fire right now, with Kristjaan Speakman seemingly eyeing up a number of late deals in the summer transfer market.
So far this summer, five new players have arrived at the Stadium of Light, with Sunderland signing Wilson Isidor on loan from Zenit last week.
He arrives after a summer-long search for a new striker. But Speakman may not stop there, with Sunderland making a £5million bid for Tom Cannon at Leicester City.
Cannon isn’t the only other name being linked with a possible move to Wearside this summer though, with Enzo Bardeli being another.
What’s been said about Sunderland and Enzo Bardeli so far
Sunderland were linked with Enzo Bardeli earlier this summer, though it looked as though the Black Cats’ interest in the Frenchman quickly died down.
But on Monday, it was revealed that Sunderland are keeping tabs on Bardeli at Dunkerque, following the start of the Ligue 2 campaign.
However, it’s claimed that FC Metz have already began discussions to sign the 23-year-old before the August 30th transfer deadline, with a trip of unnamed Dutch teams also weighing up a move.
- READ MORE: Along with Tom Cannon, Sunderland could still sign another Leicester City man before August 30th
Enzo Bardeli position and stats for Dunkerque
Bardeli is a central attacking midfielder, but with his hometown team Dunkerque, he’s also featured heavily as a central midfielder.
He rose through the ranks at Lille but has made his name with Dunkerque, having since made 79 total appearances for the club, with four goals and seven assists to his name.
The bulk of his goal contributions came in Ligue 2 last season, with Bardeli scoring three and assisting five more in 38 league appearances.
What is Enzo Bardeli’s current contract and how much is he worth
Currently, Bardeli is under contract at Dunkerque for another two years, with his deal expiring in the summer of 2026.
Similarly with Sunderland in the Jack Clarke saga, the French outfit aren’t under any pressure to sell Bardeli, and they can command whatever fee they want.
However, a transfer fee is yet to be revealed for Bardeli, who’s valued at £850,000 on Transfermarkt.
SalarySport claims that Bardeli is earning £840-a-week with Dunkerque; per the same source, that same salary would make him the lowest-paid player at Sunderland.
Enzo Bardeli highlights
Enzo Bardeli to Sunderland analysis
Whilst Bardeli’s goal contributions last season may not stand out, it’s clear by his highlights that he’s a very creative and lively midfield player.
And it should be remembered that Dunkerque finished just one place above the drop zone last season, so in a better side with more prolific players around him, Bardeli’s goal involvements could’ve been much higher.
The no.10 position at Sunderland under Regis Le Bris is currently Jobe Bellingham‘s.
But like Bardeli, and also the likes of Chris Rigg, Bellingham can play deeper when necessary, so having a few players of that ilk could be very useful for Le Bris when playing different opposition.
And it could prove very useful for rotational purposes with Bellingham especially looking very fatigued at times last season.
Per Bardeli’s highlights, it’s also clear that he’s a player who can drive forward with the ball from deep, and pick out a neat pass in the final third.
Bellingham may be the more physical type of number 10 and Bardeli the more technical, so he would certainly compliment Le Bris’ options in that position.
Right now, however, Bardeli doesn’t seem like a top target for Sunderland, whereas he does look like a top target for Metz and potentially a couple of other teams.