Sunderland loan man Salis Abdul Samed is finally up and running with the Black Cats. And a couple of impressive performances may have Kristjaan Speakman thinking about a potential summer move.
Sunderland signed Salis Abdul Samed during the summer transfer window. The Ghanaian midfielder joined on loan from RC Lens but became a bit of an enigma at the Stadium of Light, not making his debut until the FA Cup defeat against Stoke City earlier in January.
The 24-year-old has feature three times in the Championship since. He made his first start for the Black Cats in the 2-2 draw against Plymouth Argyle in January, and Salis put in a good shift. He also impressed coming off the bench against Middlesbrough last time out.
Samed is now one of four players on loan: Chris Mepham joined alongside Samed last summer, whilst Enzo Le Fee and Jayden Danns were brought in during the January transfer window.
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Do Sunderland have an option to buy Salis Abdul Samed?
With Samed having now properly joined the side, and having put in some good performances of late, it might have many fans and perhaps Sunderland officials wondering whether a permanent swoop for Samed could be a good idea.
But when he signed on loan last summer, L’Equipe reported that there was no option to buy. Samed signed a five-year contract when he joined RC Lens from Clermont in 2022, with Lens paying a reported fee of €5million (£4.16million).
Previous Sunderland manager target Will Still is yet to get a proper look at Samed, having arrived at RC Lens during the same summer that Samed left on loan, so what the future holds for Samed in Ligue remains to be seen.
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How much RC Lens wanted for Salis Abdul Samed during the summer
So far, Samed has racked up 72 total appearances for RC Lens, with one goal and one assist during that time.
He’s become an experienced player and we’ve seen his experience in the Sunderland side, with some composed and matured passing in the midfield.
But RC Lens may decide to cash in on the Ghanaian international during the summer transfer window, should their plans to raise money remain.
Last summer, it was reported by Ghana Soccernet that RC Lens were open to selling Samed as they aimed to raise some funds, with the club reportedly valuing him at €8million (£6.66million).
For Sunderland, it would be a big purchase at that price, especially so for a player who, come the summer, would have had only half-a-season of English football to his name.
But it’s certainly something that the Black Cats could consider, especially in the event of promotion.