Tony Mowbray unable to close the door on Sunderland attacker exit | OneFootball

Tony Mowbray can't rule out a move for Isaac Lihadji this summer, with reports linking the Sunderland forward with a move to Qatari side Al-Duhail.

The France U-21 international joined the Black Cats from Lille just six months ago during the January transfer window, signing a deal that runs until the summer of 2025, with the club also holding the option to extend his stay by a further year.

The 21-year-old was a bit-part player in the second half of last season for Mowbray's side, making just six appearances as a substitute in all competitions, and he has yet to start a game in England.

Lihadji played 39 times for Lille prior to his move to Wearside, scoring or assisting six times for the Ligue 1 outfit, but he hasn't had the impact he would have hoped for so far in the North East.

What has Tony Mowbray said about Lihadji's future?

Speaking via Chronicle Live, Mowbray explained that he is now aware of the reports and admitted he couldn't rule out a move away from the Stadium of Light, either, he said: "I haven't spoken to him about it, no, but I have been made aware of it [the report].

"Again, as I often say, there's nothing ultimately on my agenda about it. I wouldn't say it's not my business because of course it is my business because I'm first-team coach, but I think Kristjaan [Speakman] will deal with that if there is any truth in it or not - whether it is speculation and where it has come from.

"Is there smoke without fire? I don't know. I don't think I can give you a definitive answer on that, to be honest." "As a staff, we all really like Isaac," Mowbray said in May. "He's a very, very talented player with lovely, fast feet. "He's lithe and can get past people, he can flip it over their foot and glide inside and they can't get back to him. He can manipulate the ball very well, and he's a high-quality footballer - it's just sometimes to get him on and get him up to the intensity of the game is really difficult, so we've only seen him in little spurts. "I think when he starts football matches and plays for an hour or so, fans will see a really good footballer who can make things happen for the team. He's just been a bit short [of gametime] because it's difficult with players like [Jack] Clarke and Amad [Diallo] and [Patrick] Roberts [to leave them out] because they're contributing and giving you that feeling that they are going to score, to create something.

"He plays in a position where we've been really strong and so he just has to be patient. Hopefully he can be a success at this club and I think fans are going to be excited by his talent once he gets going."

Should Sunderland sell Lihadji?

In all honesty, the versatile winger could do with a loan move this summer, to play regularly and get up to speed in senior football. A League One loan would probably get more game time out of Lihadji and familiarise him with English football, too.

Selling so shortly after buying him feels like the wrong decision, given that he has barely been afforded the opportunities to impress and kick on. The Frenchman's versatility could prove to be extremely useful, and speed and direct running are always important weapons to have in your arsenal, which Lihadji has in abundance.