Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris believes the club's willingness to take risks on young, unproven players is central to their identity, setting them apart from rivals as the transfer window enters its final days.
Europa League return sparks excitement
Le Bris stressed his side can still have a successful end to the summer transfer window as they gear up for a Europa League campaign that will take them to Milan, Poznan, Brussels and Leiria. Excitement around the club is at an all-time high after a 50-year wait to return to European football, something that could be a once-in-a-lifetime occasion for red and white supporters.
While some expected the club to bring in more pedigree ahead of that venture, Thomas Meunier, Dayann Methalie and Jules Ahoka are all exciting additions. The former brings a wealth of experience in European football, while the latter two are viewed to have an extremely high ceiling by those at the club.
Ahoka signing fits recruitment model
Ahoka arrives at the Stadium of Light as something of an unknown quantity, plucked from Royal Antwerp after just a handful of senior appearances. That won't faze the club or fans, who are well accustomed to the club's recruitment strategy by this point. It's why Sunderland fans were left feeling rather smug after not only avoiding relegation but finishing seventh in the Premier League in their first year back.
Le Bris loves the underdog mentality, believing it resonates with not only how he wants his side to play but with how the region goes about everyday life. The club nailed their recruitment last summer, and while this window has been much slower in comparison, their ambitions are still the same.
Le Bris on taking risks
Links with Igor Paixao and Jack Grealish earlier this week set tongues wagging, and the signing of a player of that ilk would certainly take the Black Cats to another level. Yet it's the recent arrival of Ahoka that is the most intriguing. Last summer, Robin Roefs, Noah Sadiki and Chemsdine Talbi were all unheard of on Wearside in the aftermath of the play-off final, but all went on to make their mark in the Premier League.
"It's part of our identity," Le Bris said when asked when he first became aware of Ahoka. "We want to find young players with a huge potential."
"Young but with a good experience and then more experience to set the tone, to set the standards, to help the young players to understand the game and manage momentum. Here we are in the first slot. I repeat, sometimes you can go from this slot to the other one and even you can become a starter."
"It depends on the situation. Here in Sunderland, we want to create conditions for young players and sometimes it's really positive, but it takes time, so we'll see."
Ahoka impressed during the 2026 Maurice Revello Tournament, helping DR Congo finish in fourth place, behind Jocelin Ta Bi's Ivory Coast in third. While those tournaments have plenty of eager eyes on them from club scouts looking to unearth the next big star, Sunderland are the ones willing to take a punt on young stars.
It's a recruitment model that has stood them in good stead in the years that Kyril Louis-Dreyfus has owned the club, and the Florent Ghisolfi era is evolving that plan.
"I think these kind of tournaments are always well observed," Le Bris said when asked about the Maurice Revello Tournament. "Then after that, do you want to take risks or not? Do you identify the profile early or not? I think we are working well."
"We never know [how well a player will do], but at least we have the players ready to exploit opportunities and will create these opportunities in this club. This is my background, first of all, and this is the belief of the club as well."
Grealish and Paixao links
Sunderland shocked the rest of the Premier League this week with a loan approach for Manchester City star Jack Grealish. The arrival of the attacking midfielder would be a huge statement of intent from the Black Cats if they can get a deal over the line, though admittedly that looks tricky at this stage. The 30-year-old would prefer a return to Everton if he does leave City this summer, while Aston Villa are also keeping tabs on the England star.
Grealish would bring an X-Factor to Sunderland and experience at the highest level, while also having a point to prove. The Toffees had an option-to-buy Grealish for a reported £50m this summer, though that clause has long expired and Sunderland are looking to capitalise.
The Wearsiders clearly have other irons in the fire and are in talks with Marseille to sign Paixao, but watch this space closely. At this stage, it feels like a move for the Brazilian is closer than Grealish, but there'll be plenty of twists and turns before the deadline on September 1, with work still to be done.
Hume staying put
While Le Bris gives little away in his press conferences about transfers into the club, he's sometimes more open about players leaving. In this case, the head coach made it crystal clear that Trai Hume would still be a Sunderland player come the end of the window. Everton are looking to sign a new right-back with the Northern Ireland international touted as a possible target. While every player has their price, talk of Hume leaving was quashed pretty quickly.
