Regis Le Bris makes honest Sunderland transfer admission amid ongoing striker search | OneFootball

Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris has been discussing the striker situation as the club search for a new number nine.

Highlights

Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris has admitted their lengthy search for a new striker is ‘difficult’, as he vows to find the right number nine to improve the squad.

The Black Cats have been active in the market, but the main priority in the eyes of many fans in this window has been for the club to sign an experienced attacker - which has yet to be done.

With the new season just days away, that has frustrated many supporters, and Le Bris gave an update on the striker hunt when speaking to reporter Dominic Shaw.

“It's not a question of finding someone, it's about finding the right person. It's difficult, it's a long process.”

Sunderland striker latest

It’s not as though Sunderland haven’t been linked with players, and they’re aware that they need to bring in reinforcements to help the group.

The Wearside outfit were believed to be keen on Ike Ugbo, but the former Chelsea youngster will join Sheffield Wednesday. Whilst that’s disappointing for the Black Cats, the fact he was with the Owls last season, where he did well under Danny Rohl, meant Wednesday were always going to be in the driving seat.

Meanwhile, Alexandre Mendy has been consistently linked with a move to Sunderland from Caen, but despite his desire to make the switch to the north-east, it’s yet to be signed off.

Sunderland need to get the right striker this summer

You can understand why there is an annoyance among the fan base, because it’s not like Sunderland have just needed a striker this window.

It was clear heading into the January window earlier this year that they needed someone to be that focal point.

Instead, nothing happened, and the club endured a miserable final few months of the campaign, and they ended up finishing 16th in the table - which is simply not good enough.

To highlight their goalscoring issue, Jack Clarke hit 15 goals, and the winger was the only player in the squad to hit double figures, with Jobe Bellingham next on seven.

Again, it’s not good enough, so it was hoped that the club would have a new striker through the door when pre-season came around, and there’s an argument that they should be in the market for two experienced strikers.

However, it’s crucial that Sunderland get this right. If the right player hasn’t been available, the club is right to wait. If that means it drags on until August 31, it’s not ideal, but they have to think about the long-term.

Sunderland’s transfer plans

Ultimately, the club will be judged on how the squad looks once the deadline passes, and there will be an expectation that Le Bris is suitably backed to build a team that can push for promotion.

We know the strategy when it comes to recruitment, as they generally target younger players, but that has eased somewhat with Simon Moore and Alan Browne added to the squad.

So, it will be interesting to see what deals are done over the final weeks, and you get the feeling there’s a lot of activity to take place.