Sunderland could bid farewell to a number of players this transfer window
Sunderland’s Abdoullah Ba and Timothee Pembele have been told they can leave the club this summer, according to reports.
Last season, both players fell out of favour under Regis Le Bris and were loaned out to French teams. Ba previously played for second-tier club USL Dunkerque, while Pembele played in the top flight for Le Havre.
However, with their parent club having earned promotion back to the Premier League ahead of the 2019 season, and a recruitment drive well underway on Wearside, it is anticipated that both players will be free to pursue new chances elsewhere in the coming weeks.
What has been said about Abdoullah Ba and Timothee Pembele’s future with Sunderland?
With a number of players on the outside of Sunderland’s first-team squad anticipated to leave this summer, French magazine L’Equipe reports that Ba and Pembele have already been told they can leave the Stadium of Light. At this point, it is unclear where either player will wind up heading into the upcoming season.
Ba, for his part, signed with Sunderland in 2022 and went on to score four goals and five assists in 74 games, while Pembele joined the club the following year but only made eight first-team appearances in the North East.
What Timothee Pembele said about his time with Sunderland?
Pembele revealed in a December interview that he didn’t expect HAC to come hunting for him after leaving Sunderland on loan last summer. I was in England’s second tier, not playing, and I was considering returning to Ligue 2.
“When my agent informed me that Le Havre was interested in me, I answered immediately away, ‘Let’s go. I didn’t glance to see where I was in the pecking order; instead, I told myself, “I’m going, I’m fighting, and we’ll see what happens.”
“I played one match for the reserves (at Sunderland). In England, I played a lot of games with the reserves, and I was tired of playing with younger players. But the coach told me that I needed to play 90 minutes to get into a rhythm. “After that, it was one thing after another.”
Elsewhere, Dunkerque manager Demba Ba has already expressed respect for his Sunderland namesake, but has confessed that the French club will always struggle to sign him on a permanent basis.
He explained, “He’s a player I’ve been following for a long time. He formerly played for Le Havre, and because I grew up there, I’ve always kept an eye on that team. His name is Ba. When I saw him at 17 or 18, I liked his profile as a player.
“He did well for Le Havre, moved to England, and then I noticed he wasn’t playing much this season.” But I know the player; all he needs is a small click in his mind to be able to execute, and I know the player’s quality.
“When you look at his attributes, it’s astounding. His ball-handling dexterity, mentality, and even speed are all impressive. If you practice hard and have all of these qualities, you will have a fantastic job, unless anything is wrong. I’d say mentally, emotionally, or anything similar. I decided to bring him on board since he is better than the French second division. We’ll focus on the mental and emotional aspects to get him back on track.
“We just want to get him back on track so he can regain his rhythm, confidence, and start enjoying it again, because after what happened to him in the last few months, he has developed a desire to simply love football. We’ll attempt to bring it back to him, and maybe he’ll be able to return to Sunderland and either compete or be sold to continue his career.”
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