Sunderland have made a superb start to the 2024/25 campaign under Regis Le Bris and sit just three points behind Leeds United at the top of the Championship.

The Black Cats endured a dismal second half of the 2023/24 campaign, avoiding relegation by just six points. However, that nightmare run has long been forgotten after the appointment of Le Bris this summer.

The Wearsiders are once again pushing for a return to the top flight and are currently in fourth place. The Black Cats boss has spoken about bringing in players on loan to strengthen their promotion push between now and the end of the season.

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Aston Villa's Louie Barry is one of the names to have been linked with a move to the Stadium of Light, while AS Roma's Enzo Le Fee is another big name being linked with Wearside. The 24-year-old came through the ranks at French side Lorient, before rising to prominence under Le Bris in north-western France.

Le Fee made 142 appearances for his bohood club, scoring eight goals in all competitions. His impressive form for Les Merlus saw him transfer to Rennes before sealing a €23million move to AS Roma having struggled to find his form.

Things haven't quite gone to plan in Italy either with Le Fee making just six appearances in the Serie A so far this season. Sunderland have an interest in the French midfielder, but are waiting for a decision from AS Roma after sliding down the pecking order under Claudio Ranieri.

A loan move to the Stadium of Light would tick a number of boxes for the Black Cats, with the view to making the transfer a permanent one in the summer. However, that would be dependent on Sunderland winning promotion back to the top flight.

Le Bris would be understandably keen on a reunion with the midfielder, but AS Roma would likely want the best financial package available to them having spent big in the summer. Le Fee was linked with a move to La Liga side Real Betis but multiple reports claim the Spanish outfit were unable to agree terms with Roma.

Speaking earlier this month, Le Bris said: "Nothing at the moment. We are focused on the next game. Patience is exactly the word I used with the owner and sporting director. It's very important to find the right players rather than just focus on recruiting now. We have to be very accurate.

"The dynamic of the team is always very subtle so we knew a new player will have an influence, but it's not easy to find the right pieces of the jigsaw. Rather than being fast, we have to be accurate.

"Our strength is the connection. We have to find a player who can connect. It's possible to add new talents but we have to remember our identity. If we can find the right player in three days I'm happy. But it's not easy to find."