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Romaine Mundle is seriously growing into a top talent. He's looked so threatening for SAFC and is only 21 - He could become a huge asset for the side.

Sunderland fans probably felt worried when the departure of Jack Clarke was confirmed to Ipswich Town in August, but just a month later, a new star is emerging.

Romaine Mundle is seriously playing his part in Regis Le Bris' system.

The 21-year-old has cemented his place on the Mackems' left-wing so far this season, and continues to impress.

He's growing into a top talent, and could contribute to Sunderland potentially making their return to the Premier League after eight seasons.

Many doubted his ability to exceed that of Clarke's time at the Stadium of Light, but so far he's showing all the right signs.

With Sunderland top of the tree in the Championship and Mundle playing at the best of his ability, he could become a huge asset for Le Bris' side.

Eyebrows were raised when Le Bris put his faith in Mundle to replace Clarke. After signing from Belgian outfit Standard Liege for £2.5 million in January 2024, the former Tottenham academy prospect showed glimmers of his potential, but never really hit the ground running in his first six months with the Black Cats.

However, after consistent performances week in, week out, fans are now realising exactly who Mundle is, and are quickly forgetting the loss of Clarke.

More than a month ago, the Sunderland boss challenged Mundle to be more consistent with his game. He has shown more than what Le Bris probably even expected.

The fact he is still only 21 and arguably looks Sunderland's most dangerous player says it all.

It was a trusting experiment from Le Bris. To fill the boots of plausibly the best Championship left-winger at the time was never going to be an easy feat.

But this has been made to look easy for the youngster.

After eight games, he has found the back of the net three times for Sunderland, and looks a serious threat from the left. He has the ability to dazzle defenders with his quick feet, and has frightening pace, which is extremely useful in the Championship for any team.

Adding to this, he is currently one of the most in-form players in the second tier, averaging the second highest FotMob rating, just being pipped by the talent, who is Ollie Arblaster.

He's proving to be an immovable force on the left-hand side for Le Bris, and the reality is looking like he is only going to get better.

Le Bris is the perfect mentor for Mundle

As we've seen so far, Sunderland's French manager is proving to be a perfect leader for young, upcoming players. The reason Le Bris was brought to Tyne and Wear was his excellent experience in helping nurture young players to improve their game.

His previous roles saw him excel at helping young prospects in France with Lorient and Rennes, coaching their youth sides.

This could explode Mundle's potential with the mentorship of Le Bris.

The Sunderland boss has already proven he loves giving youth a chance, with the Mackems currently averaging the lowest average age of any squad in the Championship at 22.9, according to Transfermarkt.

It's so far proving to be an incredible achievement with the Mackems leading the pack in the title race.

You can already see he's bringing the best out of Mundle, and after only eight games, this remains a very scary prospect for the rest of the Championship.

Mundle continues to prosper and could emulate that of Jack Clarke.

It's certainly a case of out with the old, and in with the new.