Kylian Mbappe and Neymar may be two of the most talented footballers to ever grace the game, but they were no match for Enzo Le Fee in one key area during their Ligue 1 days.
Sunderland are looking like pulling off one of the most exciting signings of the January transfer window so far, as they close in on a loan deal for Roma midfielder, Enzo Le Fee.
The midfielder previously worked under Regis Le Bris at FC Lorient, and the Sunderland manager is apparently keen to reunite with his compatriot at the Stadium of Light now.
A deal appeared to be tricky to negotiate at first, but it is thought Le Fee has made a U-turn and is now on the verge of arriving on Wearside.
With this in mind, we took a look at some of his statistics over the years, and discovered he actually outmatched two of PSG’s biggest stars.
Enzo Le Fee made more key passes than two of the world’s best players in 2022/23
Le Fee and Le Bris’s collaboration at FC Lorient could well end up being the deciding factor in the midfielder’s decision to join Sunderland this month, and fans will be hoping Le Fee can replicate his performances from those Ligue 1 days.
As per data from FBRef, during the 2022/23 campaign in France, Le Fee was joint-sixth across the whole division when it came to making key passes, completing 67 in 35 games.
Only Remy Cabella (100), Benjamin Bourigeaud (98), Lionel Messi (93), Franck Honorat (89), and Branco van den Boomen (88) registered more, while Przemysław Frankowski also clocked 67.
Looking further down the list, Mbappe ranked 15th, with 55 key passes through the campaign, while Neymar only managed 49.
| Statistics | Enzo Le Fee (2022/23) |
|---|---|
| Appearances | 36 |
| Goals | 6 |
| Assists | 6 |
| Progressive carries per 90 | 2.86 |
| Progressive passes per 90 | 6.49 |
| Successful passes | 80.6% |
| Key passes | 67 |
Of course, there is far more to the game of football than the number of key passes a player makes, but the fact Le Fee outmatched those kinds of players under Le Bris surely bodes well for his potential addition to the Sunderland squad.
Sunderland signing Enzo Le Fee would be a huge coup for the club
If Sunderland can pull this signing off, Enzo Le Fee would be huge for the club, especially considering the fact he is moving on from a European giant like Roma to join a club in the Championship.
Of course, there will be some adjustment period to take into consideration, and there’s no guarantee he will be a success in England, but based on what we’ve seen and what we know of Le Fee, he could and should end up being one of the best players in the division.
With Sunderland on track for promotion already, this kind of acquisition could make all the difference in the title race, and he could transform the Black Cats’ midfield.