Sunderland are trying to sign Roma midfielder Enzo Le Fee this month, and if they do, Regis Le Bris is going to be spoilt for choice in the midfield area.
As Sunderland continue to exceed expectations in the Championship this season, Regis Le Bris will be dipping into the transfer market to bolster his squad.
Le Bris has explicitly requested the signing of French midfielder Enzo Le Fee this month, a player he has worked with previously at FC Lorient in the past.
But, with an abundance of top talent in the Sunderland squad already, how would Le Fee actually fit into Le Bris’ plans?
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Enzo Le Fee would take over Dan Neil’s deeper role
We know Le Fee largely operates in a deep-lying playmaker role, very similar to that of captain Dan Neil currently, but that doesn’t mean the skipper should worry about his place in the team.
It had previously been thought that the return of Salis Abdul Samed could free Neil up for a move advanced role, but Le Fee could be an even better option in that respect.
That would mean that Chris Rigg and Jobe Bellingham would need to be slotted in somewhere, and it could leave the young pair fighting it our for the same spot at times.
But, competition for places is not a bad thing, and if Sunderland want to stay on track for promotion, they will need the kind of strength in depth that top teams like Leeds United and Sheffield United boast.
Regis Le Bris would have to rotate his midfield carefully to keep everyone happy
The only issue for Le Bris, then, will be to ensure all his top players remain happy and get enough game time throughout the second half of the campaign.
The likes of Neil, Jobe, and Rigg would likely still be integral, and rotated fairly with Le Fee. But, for Samed and another injured midfielder, Alan Browne, it may be very difficult indeed to get in the team.
Still, for players that have been playing week in, week out already this season, a rest here and there would surely be welcomed, and would allow everyone in the squad to thrive amid the hectic fixture list.
Of course, this is all conjecture, and Sunderland need to persuade Le Fee to come to Wearside first. But, given his past connections to Le Bris, we could see him among the confirmed Sunderland signings sooner rather than later.