Sunderland fans would have been preparing for a new dawn this time last season as Regis Le Bris entered the Championship side's dug-out.
Nobody would have quite anticipated, just a year on, that the Black Cats would be dining at the illustrious Premier League table for the 2025/26 campaign, with the likes of Granit Xhaka raring to go in Sunderland red and white as West Ham United travel to Wearside.
Arthur Masuaku will also be excited by the prospect of potentially lining up against his former employers on the opening day, with even more new signings expected through the door before September's early cut-off.
Sunderland show interest in £26m forward
The hope is that the early-season performances won't be too disjointed, as Sunderland's ten new recruits try to hit the ground running in such a daunting division immediately.
More quality may be needed to ensure the step-up doesn't swallow Le Bris and Co whole, with centre-back target Loic Bade one presence who could really boost the Frenchman's options defensively, having been on Sunderland's radar for some time now.
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The top-flight newcomers also look set to announce Omar Alderete as their staggering 11th buy of the summer, meaning Le Bris' centre-back options will be enhanced for definite when a £10m deal for the 28-year-old to join from Getafe is officially announced.
The attack could also be sprinkled with more quality if Sunderland secure the services of Bayer Leverkusen star Amine Adli shortly, with a report from German outlet Kicker speculating that the Black Cats hold interest in the 25-year-old winger, among other suitors.
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Kicker states that both Marseille and AFC Bournemouth are also keen on landing the Leverkusen speedster, who is reportedly available for a fee around the £26m region.
With Sunderland's excessive spending on full display all across the summer to date, this shouldn't be an eye-watering amount to fork out for Adli, especially if he becomes Le Bris' own version of Jack Clarke that helps Sunderland to navigate the step-up more comfortably.
How Adli could become Le Bris' own Clarke at Sunderland
Unfortunately, Clarke would hop off the Black Cats train before he could bask in the glory of a promotion.
Still, he left a lasting impact on the Stadium of Light masses during his lengthy stay on Wearside, as seen in him tallying up an impressive 28 goals and 23 assists from 114 games, even as his team regularly faltered in their hunt for a return to the top-flight.
Now, Le Bris will hope he can strike gold on another entertaining, gung-ho winger in the same mould as Clarke in Adli, with the 25-year-old already being dubbed as "electric" by football talent scout Jacek Kulig for his ability to bomb forward with ease.
Often lining up down Clarke's trusty left-hand side, the Moroccan forward has become a staple of many a Leverkusen side since his move from Toulouse in 2021, with Adli now ready to take the English game by storm as a versatile trickster under Le Bris' wing.
Adli's numbers for Leverkusen by position
Position
LW
SS
CF
RW
AM
RM
CM
Sourced by Transfermarkt
While 16 of Adli's overall 47 goal contributions for the Bundesliga giants have been on this left flank, he will also be a valued member of the Frenchman's camp moving forward for his prowess to line up as an attacking midfielder and as a striker if needed.
After all, Clarke also possessed this same adaptability in spurts, with two of his career goals on Wearside coming from an unusual centre-forward role.
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On top of that, Adli has had to deal with the pressures of being in the Leverkusen spotlight since a very early age, much like what Clarke had to come to terms with when lining up for Leeds United and Tottenham Hotspur, before coming out of the other side of these disruptive spells with Sunderland.
Further lauded as "sensational" for his direct approach by U23 scout Antonio Mango, this does feel like a signing that would really enhance an already captivating Black Cats forward line, particularly if the 25-year-old attacker goes on to be as revered as Clarke before him.