Sunderland have enjoyed a successful first season back in the Premier League so far
Kristjaan Speakman’s departure from Sunderland last month underlined the central role of Florent Ghisolfi at the club moving forward. Ghisolfi had assumed much of the responsibility for the last two transfer windows and with safety now all but secured, the director of football is the man tasked with building on the momentum of an excellent campaign this summer.
With that in mind, we’ve taken a look at all his signings from the last two windows to determine how he’s fared and what it means for the summer window…
Habib Diarra
A major groin injury and the Africa Cup of Nations means that Diarra’s time at Sunderland has been about promise rather than consistency at this early stage. The club’s record signing, he has shown his quality without making a prolonged impact. His athleticism and ability to make good, late runs into the box underline why he is a player with huge promise and a big part to play moving forward, but he’ll hope for a stronger second season. 7/10
Noah Sadiki
An outrageously good addition. Sadiki was an absolutely pivotal part of Sunderland’s early-season form, which meant relegation was a distant worry by the time he departed for AFCON. Sadiki’s athleticism and energy have been a revelation, but he’s also consistently shown an ability to carry the ball into the final third. Signed for an initial fee of around £15 million, he is already worth double that. A player Sunderland tracked for some time and their decisiveness early last summer has been spectacularly vindicated. 9.5/10
Reinildo
AFCON and injury mean his impact since the festive period has been more limited, but the left back has been exceptionally good when available and completely allayed any fears that the injuries he suffered at Atletico Madrid might impact his speed and ability. Other than a red card against Aston Villa, he was fairly flawless through the first three months of the campaign and a big part of Sunderland’s success. It was a low risk, high reward deal that Ghisolfi did very well to get over the line. 8/10
Chemsdine Talbi
It’s not always been easy for Talbi this season, but he has reached March with a good haul of goal contributions and for a young winger adapting to a new league that is a solid return. There’s huge promise here with speed and an eye for goal regularly on show, and the key now is to add the physicality that will allow him to impact games consistently. A run on his preferred left flank would help, too. A good addition, hopefully with a big future ahead. 7.5/10
Simon Adingra
The Brighton winger was a long-term target of Sunderland’s, so it is both a surprise and disappointment that he wasn’t able to make a bigger impact. His quality in the final third was clear, but he struggled to impact games consistently - perhaps because of the physical demands Le Bris places on his wingers and the need for them to contribute defensively. A solid start to his loan at AS Monaco means Sunderland may not in the long run lose out financially, but this is one of the rare examples last summer of a player who didn’t quite seem to fit the style of football the club wanted to bring to the Premier League. 5/10
Granit Xhaka
Much of the credit for this signing is due to Kyril Louis-Dreyfus, who was instrumental in selling the project to the Switzerland captain. Xhaka has worked closely with Ghisolfi since, however, as the pair have bid to work with Le Bris in turning Sunderland into an elite environment. His leadership has been key, while his passing range and ability to manage the tempo of the game are still absolute top level. He has quite simply been a generational Sunderland signing. 10/10
Robin Roefs
It seems remarkable now to reflect that Roefs was not Sunderland’s first-choice signing, having initially made major moves to try and sign Marcin Bulka and then Djordje Petrovic. Roefs, though, has been a revelation. He’s a good shotstopper but has a calming presence on the ball and from set pieces, with many in the game already entirely convinced that he is destined for the very top. Ghisolfi and Sunderland deserve huge credit for trusting a player with senior experience in such a pressurised environment; it’s the kind of boldness they need to keep demonstrating to gain an edge on their rivals moving forward. 10/10
Arthur Masuaku
Masuaku was signed to add some Premier League experience to a very young group, but Reinildo’s form and Trai Hume’s ability to cover on his weaker flank meant he saw very little football through the first half of the season. A very attacking full back, he never looked a comfortable fit for a team that often defends deep for large periods. As a free agent his signing was low risk for all parties, but a summer exit now looks inevitable. 3/10
Omar Alderete
He has been so good that Sunderland fans have been left wondering how the club were able to land him. It was an inspired bit of recruitment, noting that the Getafe side he played in often defended in a low block that would set him up for success in Sunderland’s side. Most impressive, though, was how they were able to identify that his composure and quality in possession is much better than he was able to demonstrate in that side. A strong addition that summed up the pragmatism Ghisolfi brought to the club’s model in his first window. 9/10
Marc Guiu
It seems harsh to judge a signing who ultimately could only make a handful of appearances from the bench. Guiu worked hard and looked like he had the promise to make an impact, but was recalled before having the chance to really show what he was made of. It proved to be a welcome twist of fate for Sunderland, who went on to recruit Brian Brobbey. 5/10
Nordi Mukiele
A key leader in the dressing room alongside Xhaka, Mukiele has been an inspired addition whose top-level experience proved key to helping Sunderland surpass all expectations. Strong in duels and dominant in the air, he was a key part of one of the division’s best defences early on in the campaign and at his best has added another dimension to the team’s attacking play with his overlapping runs down the right flank. 9.5/10
Brian Brobbey
Sunderland tried to sign Brobbey early in the summer window, and returned to the table when Guiu was recalled by Chelsea. It has proven to be a key moment in their season, with Brobbey superb since finding full fitness. He has scored important goals but more importantly been a real focal point for Sunderland as they establish themselves at the level. In comparison to many of the fees spent by Premier League clubs on strikers, the initial fee of around £17 million is looking like a relative bargain at this stage. 9/10
Bertrand Traoré
The experienced winger proved a really canny addition with just minutes to spare on deadline day, bringing some valuable top-level experience and composure to the side. His performances made him a must-pick for Le Bris in the months after his arrival, but AFCON and then injury mean he has barely featured since December. 7/10
Lutsharel Geertruida
Geertruida hasn’t been able to really nail down a spot in Le Bris’s XI, and so all parties have a big decision to make as to whether they trigger the option-to-buy clause this summer. That doesn’t change the fact that he has made an impact in a number of positions this season, however, or that he has proved a very solid loan addition after Bologna stood firm in the club’s pursuit of Jhon Lucumí. 7.5/10
Jocelin Ta Bi
One of the most interesting signings Ghisolfi has made, with the jump from the Israeli top tier to the Premier League a vast one. A very low fee made this a calculated gamble, and his early appearances showed a rare ability to carry the ball and get past players. Injury struck early, which means it’s just too soon to make a judgement. It’s good to see Sunderland continue being brave in their recruitment despite promotion, though. N/A
Melker Ellborg
Ellborg’s four appearances so far have had their ups and downs, but it’s worth remembering that he is a very young goalkeeper who cost the club a very modest fee in the region of £3 million. In that context he looks a good addition: his distribution needs work but he makes good saves and looks calm in dealing with balls into the box. A lot of potential and a clever signing with interest in Roefs over the next few windows inevitable. 7.5/10
Nilson Angulo
It’s early days for Angulo but the encouraging sign from a Sunderland perspective is that he is clearly a hard-working player who will have no issues taking on Le Bris’s defensive demands. He carries the ball well and like Talbi, the key to his success will be how he adapts to the physical demands of the Premier League. Time will tell but looks like a smart signing on early evidence. 7/10
* Enzo Le Fée is not included as the deal was agreed prior to Ghisfoli’s arrival
What Florent Ghisolfi has got right so far and what it means for the future
Many of Sunderland’s summer signings were players they had been tracking ahead of their promotion, and Ghisolfi did well to use his contacts in the European market to blend those exciting young additions with more top-level experience. Most impressive was how despite only arriving in June, Ghisolfi was able to quickly grasp both the identity of Le Bris’s side and what the demands of the Premier League would be. It has meant he has built a side that has the experience to cope with the top tier, but is also packed with the young players who can deliver the profit Sunderland will need to grow revenues and reinvest in the years ahead.
It’s simply impossible for Sunderland to invest as heavily as they have done over the last two windows, and so the challenge for Ghisolfi is to keep adding exciting young talent to the group while ensuring the solidity that has been so crucial to this season’s success is not compromised.
What’s interesting is that these two transfer windows were essentially a very productive partnership between Ghisofli and the pre-existing recruitment structure. From this summer, Ghisolfi will be working with the structure he has since put in place. Will that see a slight change in strategy, or different markets pursued? It will be fascinating to watch it unfold but there is simply no doubting that he has made an exceptional start.
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