Sunderland’s owner was interviewed on Sky Sports prior to last night’s home draw with Everton, and spelled out his hopes for the remainder of the campaign as well as his aims for the January transfer window.
When asked whether Sunderland’s strong start to the season had affected his thinking ahead of January, Louis-Dreyfus said: “I would say definitely a little bit because obviously if we're in the bottom three by Christmas or we're in the top six by Christmas that changes the ambition a little bit.
“We’re currently preparing for all scenarios but we've been doing that since the summer, so hopefully we'll be going into the January window with a top-ten finish in mind and we will prepare and execute the transfer window to give us the best chance.”
Sunderland currently sit in fourth position in the table, with more than a quarter of the season gone, but Le Bris is refusing to get carried away by his side’s strong start.
When Louis-Dreyfus’ words were put to him in the wake of last night’s draw with Everton, he responded in a typically understated manner.
“For me, the next target is Arsenal,” said Le Bris. “I’m always just connected with the next game.”
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That Arsenal game will see Granit Xhaka take on his former employers, with the Sunderland skipper having delivered a midfield masterclass in last night’s game.
Xhaka scored his first Sunderland goal to level the scores at the start of the second half, and was the catalyst for the revival that saw the Black Cats shrug off a shaky start to dominate most of the final hour.
“I’m happy to have this kind of player,” said Le Bris. “He wants to play football, he wants to be competitive, he's always connected with the game, he sets the standards, so it's so important for us.
“Is he one of the best midfielders in the Premier League at the moment? I don't know because, in this league, we have many really good players. We love Granit, so I probably we won't be a good judge in this situation.
“He’s really important. I think he enjoys playing with us as well because the lads are well connected with him, with the way of playing. They want to fight until the end, so I think he likes their behaviour as well.”