Sunderland have already experienced what a rollercoaster the Premier League can be.
The opening day of the season saw them experience the unbelievable high of downing West Ham United 3-0 on their return to the big time, before crashing back down to Earth with a dire 2-0 defeat on the road to Burnley.
Regis Le Bris will just have to hope his team doesn’t get too high or low when more wins and losses are notched up, with the 36 games still to come, no doubt, throwing up even more eventful moments and instances.
It’s been well documented how busy the Wearside outfit has been in the summer transfer window, with all this hectic activity potentially extending to the very last minute of September’s early deadline.
Sunderland lead race for £30m attacker
A whopping eight of Sunderland’s 12 forays into the market started the loss in Lancashire, with that high number of incoming signings set to rise before the window slams shut.
The Black Cats had been in the hunt for Getafe star Christantus Uche, but he is now looking to be closer to joining Wolverhampton Wanderers instead with a fee around the £17m mark enough for Uche to move to Molineux.
The top-flight newcomers might have more luck on their side in the race to snap up Ajax midfield sensation Kenneth Taylor, with Le Bris and Co allegedly keen on the £30m-rated ace’s services, amid interest also coming Taylor’s way from Aston Villa and Newcastle United.
While that move looks to be more of an opportunistic shot in the dark over anything concrete, Sunderland are now being named as a leading party for the signature of in-demand RC Strasbourg forward Dilane Bakwa.
Leeds Live has revealed that Bakwa – who was very much in the running to move to Daniel Farke’s Whites – is unsure by the prospect of a switch to West Yorkshire now, with both Nottingham Forest and Sunderland overjoyed by this news, having also been chasing his £30m services alongside the recent 5-0 losers at the hands of Arsenal.
This isn’t the first saga this dramatic window where Sunderland have just managed to sneak to the front of the queue ahead of Farke’s men, with a hope now on Le Bris and Co’s side that they end up landing another Enzo Le Fee-style figure in Bakwa, who will be eager to link up with former Strasbourg teammate Habib Diarra in England.
How Bakwa can be the next Le Fee at Sunderland
Sunderland really have uncovered some gems from the French top division since Le Bris’ arrival on the scene from Lorient.
The aforementioned Diarra did stick out during the opening day success over the Hammers, with 12 sprints completed throughout the contest as an energetic presence centrally.
But, the main diamond who has managed to make the transition from Ligue 1 to England look a breeze has been Le Fee.
While he is yet to start a game in the Premier League this season, adding in the classy Le Fee to the group last season undoubtedly boosted their promotion chances, with the former Lorient midfielder helping himself to one goal and three assists to push the promotion chasers up to the top-flight.
Bakwa will hope he can come into the ever-growing group as a shiny, new £30m addition – much like Le Fee once was – and be as instantly impactful, having been branded a “very exciting” talent by journalist Josh Bunting for his consistent brilliance donning Strasbourg blue.
Games played
75
132
Goals scored
9
7
Assists
17
14
Big chances created
27
26
He warrants such praise, too, considering the 22-year-old has bettered Le Fee’s own stunning output in his native country during his time in the French top division to date, with a sublime 27 big chances created across his 75 Ligue 1 outings.
With two assists already under his belt for Liam Rosenior’s men in league action this season, too, Bakwa might well feel he’s ready for a tougher challenge, with Sunderland perhaps offering him that in the form of a potential relegation battle.
Le Fee passed his own test with flying colours when he was launched headfirst into a promotion race.
Now, the proof will soon be in the pudding as to whether Bakwa can reach the same heights as the Frenchman if he can perform and excel with the strain of trying to clinch Premier League survival weighing heavily.
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3 ByTom Cunningham