Regis Le Bris explains change to Sunderland's striker search as deadline approaches
SUNDERLAND are still determined to land a new forward in the final week of the transfer window – but Regis Le Bris does not feel the club necessarily need a new ‘number nine’.
The Black Cats have spent the last two or three transfer windows trying to sign a striker – largely to little or no success – and headed into January targeting an orthodox forward who could lead the line in the second half of the season.
Approaches for Tom Cannon and Ben Brereton Diaz proved unsuccessful, with the duo both heading to Sheffield United, but in the meantime, Wilson Isidor has continued to impress as Sunderland’s lead striker, with Eliezer Mayenda’s two goals in the last five games highlighting his capabilities when played through the middle.
Le Bris concedes the Black Cats need to sign someone this month if they are not going to leave themselves short in the final third. But, increasingly, he has veered away from wanting a natural ‘number nine’ and become much keener on landing a versatile attacker who could fill a number of different roles.
“For sure, this is clear now,” said Le Bris, ahead of this afternoon’s home game with Plymouth Argyle. “We probably still need some more vertical threats, players who could run in behind.
“This could be a striker, but also a winger, maybe a versatile player. So, this is still very much in our mind, but we will see what comes in these next weeks. But it is not necessarily about a number nine.”
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Mayenda’s improvement in the last few months has helped modify Le Bris’ thinking, with the Spaniard having begun to look increasingly comfortable, especially when paired with Isidor as part of a front two.
In the early stages of his Sunderland career, the teenager struggled to adapt to life in the Championship, with some observers criticising his body language and accusing him of a perceived lack of passion.
Le Bris understands why such judgements were made, but insists they were always unfair. When he works with Mayenda, he sees a youngster who is desperate to improve and impress, and the more his confidence has grown, the more he has been able to express himself on the pitch in the first-team environment.
“He (Mayenda) is in a good place,” said Le Bris. “He struggled sometimes, and that was probably a part of his learning curve. It can be high, it can low, but his behaviour out on the pitch was always positive.
“Sometimes, his body language can suggest that he is not really involved, but it is really the opposite. It is probably just the way he is, maybe it is something he does to try to protect himself.
“But he really wants to improve and, when he struggles, he doesn’t like that. I think, now, he deserves to be at that level (in the starting team), and he will be very important for us because he helps out of possession, he helps in possession, and he scores goals. We like this type of player in the team.”
