Isaac Lihadji could swap Sunderland for Qatar this summer.
L’Equipe have reported that Qatari side Al-Duhail could be set for a double swoop of Championship players as they look to land Lihadji and Southampton’s Ibrahima Diallo.
Lihadji only joined Sunderland from Lille in January, signing a two-and-a-half-year deal with the option of a further year.
The 21-year-old was limited to only six appearances off the bench for the Black Cats, though Tony Mowbray admitted his lack of game time was due to not speaking English.
Lihadji – who was nominated for the 2022 Golden Boy award – looked to be a very promising signing for Sunderland six months ago, with Mowbray telling the club that it was a ‘mark of the Club’s progression that we can attract this level of talent’.
While the winger looked set for another campaign in England, the report claims that Al-Duhail could instead confirm his move to the Middle East.
The French publication understands that the Qatar Stars League is eager to bring in more young prospects to improve the league’s level.
Isaac Lihadji’s departure from Sunderland would make no sense
Isaac Lihadji was very highly regarded when he joined Sunderland after previously making 37 appearances for Lille’s senior team, including a handful in the Champions League.
While the Frenchman had a very slow start to life on Wearside, there was never any expectations on him to kickstart his career so early on given his age and the language barrier – similar to Jewison Bennette.
It was thought that Lihadji would push on this season and maybe be given more of a chance off the bench and in the Cup competitions, so the latest news comes as a huge surprise to Sunderland supporters.
It seems very unlikely that the Black Cats would be willing to part ways with the youngster already, unless Al-Duhail have a lucrative offer on the table that would also benefit the Championship club.