Sunderland may be flying high already this season, but Regis Le Bris is looking for reinforcements in the January transfer window.
The Black Cats moved to within three points of Leeds United at the top of the Championship table after their 1-0 win over Portsmouth on Sunday.
Sunderland continue to impress with a young squad exceeding all expectations, and Regis Le Bris doing a remarkable job in his first year in England.
We’re yet to see any Sunderland transfer activity so far this month, but it sounds like Le Bris has made a very specific request for a player he knows a lot about.
Sunderland want to sign Roma midfielder Enzo Le Fee in January
Soon after Sunderland’s win over Portsmouth, news emerged of the Black Cats’ enquiries into signing French midfielder, Enzo Le Fee, from AS Roma.
Relevo reporter Matteo Moretto took to Twitter/X to share information on the situation, writing: “Sunderland have inquired about Enzo Le Fee. It is an explicit request from the coach, Regis Le Bris, who worked with the French midfielder at Lorient.
“[Real] Betis has had contact with his entourage but an official offer to Roma has never been presented.”
A report from Le Parisien offers more on that interest from Spain, with suggestions that both Betis and Sevilla had been tracking Le Fee, but that it is now looking less and less likely that a move to La Liga will happen.
It is said Le Fee is being “observed” by a number of clubs in the Championship, with Sunderland manager Le Bris very eager to “recruit” the midfielder this winter.
Le Bris formerly worked with the 24-year-old at Lorient before the pair moved on last summer, with Le Fee making a £19m switch to Roma.
Things haven’t quite worked out in Italy for Le Fee, though, especially since Claudio Ranieri’s arrival at Roma. The midfielder has played just 460 minutes of football across ten appearances this season.
What would Le Fee’s arrival mean for the Sunderland midfield?
The Sunderland squad is already blessed with some of the best midfielders in the league, but the arrival of Le Fee could be most influential on the role Dan Neil plays.
At present, Neil is playing deeper than he would perhaps like to, but Le Fee is more adept at that terrier-like role, meaning the Black Cats’ skipper could end up being pushed further up the pitch.
It was thought Salis Abdul Samed could give Neil more freedom initially, but the summer signing is still yet to play, and if Le Fee does join, it could even spell the end of the Ghanaian’s loan deal before it’s even got going.
Still, with Le Fee potentially being added to a roster including Neil, Chris Rigg, and Jobe Bellingham, Sunderland could become a formidable prospect in the middle of the park.