Sunderland transfer chief Florent Ghisolfi
Sunderland transfer chief Florent Ghisolfi
Sunderland have enjoyed a good run since returning to the Premier League last year, with Florent Ghisolfi playing his part.
The Black Cats have won 12 of their 32 league matches and that includes a 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur at the Stadium of Light on Sunday.
Régis Le Bris has done an exceptional job since joining Sunderland in 2024. To put it in context, he brought the club from the Championship to the top flight and they’re now in the running to qualify for Europe.
Sunderland’s latest win has seen them climb to 10th spot in the table, two points behind sixth placed Chelsea.
As well as Le Bris, Sunderland sporting director Florent Ghisolfi plays an important role in reshaping the squad.
He arrived at the club in July 2025, days after stepping down from his role at AS Roma. The director had identified UD Almería’s Sergio Arribas’ as a target for the Serie A side and could consider signing him for Sunderland.
Ghisolfi attracting France interest
The Frenchman’s work at Sunderland has clearly not gone unnoticed in his country. That’s according to Monday’s edition of La Provence, a newspaper local to Marseille.
Frank McCourt, the Ligue 1 side’s owner, has appointed Stéphane Richard as their new president. His immediate task is to find a sporting director to succeed Medhi Benatia.
The French club have tasked agency Excel Sports Management to look for a new director. The key Sunderland man is in their list as he ‘ticked many boxes’.
Florent Ghisolfi has the experience of working in France from his time at FC Lorient, RC Lens and OGC Nice between 2017 to 2024.
This, coupled with his work at Sunderland would have convinced Marseille to make an approach.
However, the Frenchman prefers to stay at the Stadium of Light, ruling out an exit from the Black Cats.
Stade Brestois director Grégory Lorenzi and Julien Fournier, who is now without a club, are also on Marseille’s agenda.
Frenchman key for Sunderland
Florent Ghisolfi has clearly had a positive impact on Sunderland, along with Régis Le Bris.
The duo have a bigger role to play in further strengthening the English club’s squad in the next window.
Therefore, it’s vital for Sunderland to retain both the director and the manager after this season.