Sunderland are still in the Premier League top four after ten matches, and it’s clearly inspiring Kyril Louis-Dreyfus to think big for the rest of the campaign.
After a 1-1 draw at home to Everton on Monday night Sunderland have climbed back up to fourth place in the Premier League table and any ideas of a relegation battle are long gone now.
Incredibly, Granit Xhaka has demanded more from his teammates, which just shows how driven this Sunderland side are to upset the apple cart in the top flight this year.
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Well, by the sounds of it, Regis Le Bris is going to be given everything he needs to achieve just that, with Sunderland owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus harbouring grand ambitions for the club.
Sunderland owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus during Sunderland v Aston Villa in the Premier League
Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images
Kyril Louis-Dreyfus wants top 10 finish
Speaking on Sky Sports ahead of the Everton game last night, Louis-Dreyfus was asked about the targets Sunderland have for this season and what he plans to do in January to push towards them.
He replied: “I would say definitely a little bit [that the great start could affect Sunderland’s approach in January]. 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. Hopefully, we’ll be going into the January window with a top ten finish in mind and we will prepare and execute the window to give us the best chance.”
Given the high revenue stream Louis-Dreyfus has access to, and the current projection for where Sunderland are heading in terms of points and position in the league, it’s fair to say fans can expect another exciting transfer window in January, then.
On the money side of things, Louis-Dreyfus added: “We didn’t set ourselves a budget, we just knew we had to go for it, or else we would go back to the championship. We hope for a top ten finish.”
Sunderland spent over £163m in the summer, but it sounds like he’s ready to spend even more in January.
Regis Le Bris during Sunderland v Everton - Premier League
Photo by Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar Via Getty Images
What do Sunderland need in January?
So, what exactly do Sunderland need in order to bolster their ranks and secure a top ten finish this season?
We understand Sunderland want another striker in January. We even came up with some suggestions as to who Sunderland should sign, including taking Richarlison off Tottenham’s hands.
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Poll: What area should Sunderland reinforce in January?
Beyond that, you’d probably be looking at adding another winger to the mix and perhaps adding one more top quality centre-back into the squad.
The likes of Ian Poveda, Aji Alese, Leo Hjelde, and even club legend Luke O’Nien aren’t really going to contribute much this season, and upgrades are needed if Sunderland want to go to the next level.
Sunderland signed international quality players in the summer and it’s made their squad so much stronger. They need to follow that same strategy again in January and take advantage of those players out there who are eager to make an impression ahead of the World Cup.