Régis Le Bris confirms the positions Sunderland want to strengthen and explains transfer 'non-negotiable'
Sunderland are looking for two or three quality additions to strengthen their squad in the January window
Régis Le Bris has confirmed that Sunderland are looking to strengthen their midfield options in the January transfer window.
In theory, it's a position in which the Black Cats are well stocked but the reality this season has been quite different. Alan Browne has been absent for around two months with a leg injury and remains a few weeks from a return, while Salis Abdul Samed is yet to make his debut. Though Samed is in full training he will need to be introduced to competitive football gradually after such a long spell on sidelines, and Chris Rigg's injury has left the Sunderland head coach with little depth.
As such, it's a position that the Black Cats are open to recruiting in if the right player is available. Le Bris also confirmed that the club are looking to sign more quality in the final third of the pitch, though that has been widely known for a while.
"Probably at the minute we only have two midfielders available at that [top Championship] level. We can develop other players like Milan, who is a very good player, but he needs time to develop at that level. So we still have an eye on this part of the pitch.
"A striker, a versatile forward [as well] - we don't know because the market is still unpredictable."
Equally key is retaining the club's best players, with a number of top-tier clubs closely watching the progress of players such as Jobe Bellingham and Chris Rigg over the first half of the campaign. While Le Bris is well aware that clubs could place bids this month, he said he is confident that the club can resist and added that it was important not to forget that the players are relishing being part of the push for promotion.
In both cases, Sunderland are also well protected in terms of the player's contractual situations.
"It's still an option [for clubs to come in] when young players are playing such good football," Le Bris said.
"Probably some of them can be targeted for huge, massive clubs. But at the same time for them they can understand the dynamic and where they are today is positive for their improvement. Beyond just their own career, it's what they can share with teammates. "It's a human journey and they're enjoying it. It's good news that there's interest from other clubs, but at the same time they're really involved in our project."
Le Bris believes that team spirit is a key strength in Sunderland's own recruitment plans, and says finding the right characters who can maintain the cohesiveness of the team on and off the pitch is a 'non-negotiable'.
"It's not common to find this feeling in a group," he said.
"Football is different now. It's really difficult to create a shared project. It's good for the players in the squad now and very positive for the players who could be involved. But they have to know this is a non-negotiable rule to be connected with us."