Wilson Isidor names Champions League club he was ‘supposed’ to join instead of Sunderland.
Sunderland’s Wilson Isidor has also remarked about a previous transfer link with Regis Le Bris.
Wilson Isidor, Sunderland’s striker, has revealed that he was close to signing Champions League club Brest last season before deciding to join the Stadium of Light.
The Frenchman joined the Black Cats on a loan deal from Russian club Zenit St. Petersburg last summer, before making the move permanent in the January transfer window.
Isidor had a fantastic debut season in England, finishing Sunderland’s promotion campaign as the club’s leading scorer with 13 goals in red and white. However, in an interview with YouTube channel Samos TV last month, the 24-year-old revealed how close he came to playing at the highest level of continental football.
Isidor had a fantastic debut season in England, finishing Sunderland’s promotion campaign as the club’s leading scorer with 13 goals in red and white.However, in an interview with YouTube channel Samos TV last month, the 24-year-old revealed how close he came to playing at the highest level of continental football.
Isidor reflected on the events that led to his move to Sunderland last summer, saying: “Originally, I was scheduled to travel to Brest, but for various reasons, it did not materialise. That’s when Sunderland called me.”
When asked if he was pleased when he learnt of the Black Cats’ interest, Isidor responded, “Yes, I am really pleased. My initial thought was to phone a buddy of mine who knows Pierre Ekwah, who played for Sunderland. I asked for his phone number so that I could call him.
“Pierre can’t respond, so I ask a common acquaintance how things are going for Pierre at Sunderland. He said everything is going well, and the club is fantastic. So I’m relieved to have the perspective of a player; it’s vital. After that, I chatted with the coach and the sporting director, and everything came together naturally. I wanted to come as soon as I found out it was Regis Le Bris.
Isidor also revealed how close he was to signing for Le Bris during the head coach’s previous tenure at FC Lorient, only for rival interest from Lyon and an unexpected injury issue to ruin the deal.
He went on: “In January [2023], Lorient wants to sign me. They are fifth in Ligue 1 and having a fantastic season. They were enjoying a great season. It was quite insane. So I figured I would sign there. I also had offers from other clubs. And then they performed some mental work on me, encouraging me not to sign with Lorient but rather with Lyon, who were interested in my profile. “I spoke with Lyon’s coach, Laurent Blanc. He says he needs me and that I’ll play. ‘Wow, Laurent Blanc telling me that is something!’ I think to myself.
The next day, I received a communication from [Lyon] President Aulas, which was a difficult moment. I had already told Regis Le Bris, the Lorient coach at the time, that I was going to join them, but there are things you have to handle like a man. Imagine if he discovered through the media that I had signed with Lyon…
“I suffered a minor knee injury a week before my scheduled arrival in Lyon. I felt some soreness in my knee. When I get in Lyon, I will undergo medical examinations. I respond, ‘No problem’. When they ask if my knee aches, I respond ‘No’. They swear it does, but I tell them, ‘Honestly, if it did, I’d say so. Then they show me the MRI, which reveals a torn ACL. I was playing while injured.
In the end, I would have been unable to sign anyplace. Lorient was intended to be a permanent transfer, whereas Lyon was only a loan, therefore they weren’t going to accept me injured. It would not have made sense. I was out for three months.”
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