He’s the new Le Fee: Sunderland battling English clubs to sign £1.2m star.

Sunderland already know who they will face in their first round of Premier League fixtures.

It will have suddenly become very real for anyone with connections to the Black Cats when looking at the list of clubs Regis Le Bris’ men will soon play, with August bringing fixtures against West Ham United, Burnley, and Brentford to begin off their challenging top-flight survival effort.

Le Bris will hope his newly promoted team can gradually adjust to their formidable level, as plenty of signings are still required to keep their heads over water.

Sunderland have already achieved success in this area by obtaining the permanent services of Enzo Le Fee, but another midfield talent may soon join the ranks to work with the skilled Frenchman.

Sunderland monitoring bargain midfielder

According to OnTheMinute, Sunderland are currently watching the condition of Clermont Foot midfielder Habib Keita.

According to the article, Keita has become a highly sought-after player following his success in Ligue 2, with QPR, Stoke City, and Crystal Palace all keeping an eye on the potential 23-year-old.

Valued at just £1.2 million on Transfermarkt, this might be another steal exploiting the French market, similar to when Le Fee first joined the building on loan.

How Keita can be Le Bris’ next Le Fee

With Jobe Bellingham also gone, leaving a significant void in the middle, this would be a wise signing as Sunderland look to re-acclimate to the demands of the Premier League.

 

After all, Le Bris has undoubtedly had the Malian on his radar for quite some time, with the former Lorient manager no doubt a big fan of the 23-year-old when he was still in the managing dugouts of his home France. Keita, like Le Fee at Le Bris’ former employers, would have been seen as a bright potential when he rose through the Lyon levels as a youth.

However, like the now-Sunderland number 28, his career has not been without challenges, which led to the midfielder relocating to Belgium after leaving the Groupama Stadium, before returning to France reinvigorated with Clermont Foot.

Even though his Ligue 2 club finished 16th in the league standings last season, Keita still managed to score a goal and four assists, implying that he could thrive in another cellar battle with Sunderland.

The table above clearly underlines the concept that Keita, like Le Fee, might develop into an even stronger prospect under Le Bris’ tutelage, with the midfield combination recording comparable statistics from last season, as evidenced by their similar passing numbers.

Aside from their ability to create opportunities, the midfield combination excels as active bodies, having won a large number of duels, which will come in handy as Premier League games grow more attritional and tight.

Keita, like Le Fee, can line up down the wings rather than in the middle of the park, and eight of his overall career appearances have seen him start as a number ten, with another four clashes seeing him deployed down the right flank.

The only concern will be if the Malian would be able to quickly adapt to his new surroundings. But, if Le Fee is anything to go by, Keita could be the next blockbuster signing from Le Bris’ motherland.

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