Sunderland chief opens up on Dan Neil future after Everton transfer talk
Dan Neil remains a Sunderland player and head coach Regis Le Bris hopes his 'smart' player can sign a new deal and fend off Premier league interest.
The Sunderland skipper has become one of the key men in Le Bris' midfield. His Performances at the heart of the formation have helped the Black Cats storm into promotion contention.
There remains a long way to go this season, and there is a lot of speculation about some of the club's most highly-rated players, including Jobe Bellingham, Anthony Patterson and Neil. Sunderland fans will be hoping they can keep hold of their best assets and mount an assault on the top end of the Championship in the second half of the campaign.
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Neil, in particular, has been linked with Everton. Former Sunderland boss David Moyes is keen to strengthen his midfield after his return to Goodison Park. And with Neil being a target for Premier League clubs, Le Bris was asked about the captain signing a new contract with the club and how far along they are with that.
He said: “Kristjaan [Speakman, sporting director] has many conversations with his agent. I don’t know exactly.
"He [Neil] is very important to us. On the pitch it’s not easy to assess the way he helps the team and the way he solves the problems we face.
“He is tactically very smart and can understand very quickly what happens on the pitch and solve and share with his team what it’s important to do.
“And if it doesn’t work he can change. He has a good connection with the staff as well. He has the armband and you can see his involvement and he is very impressive.”
Keeping his squad intact is key for the Frenchman if Sunderland are to continue challenging Leeds United, Sheffield United and Burnley for one of the two automatic places. Le Bris confirmed Aji Alese will miss the rest of the season with a broken leg and damaged hand, and won't want to lose any further bodies.
