Régis Le Bris makes transfer deadline day admission as Sunderland face Middlesbrough headache
Sunderland may well need to conclude some transfer business even as they prepare for a huge Championship fixture
Régis Le Bris says that Sunderland are preparing for the possibility of transfer deadline day impacting their preparations for a crucial Championship game against Middlesbrough.
The January window closes at 11pm on Monday, around an hour after Sunderland’s game at the Riverside will likely finish. The Black Cats still have some business to conclude, with their search for another forward player ongoing and a number of fringe players potentially departing to try and get more regular game time.
The Black Cats would ideally like to get all of their business done before Monday, preventing any disruption to Le Bris’s matchday squad. The Sunderland head coach says he knows this might not be possible in an ‘unpredictable’ transfer market.
"I would like this, but it is not often the case," Le Bris said.
"Because the market is unpredictable. We will try our best to protect the team because we have two timelines, how we want to prepare this game to be fully engaged and at the same time, we know so that some adjustment [to the squad] could be useful for the future. We will try our best to try and manage these two timelines properly."
It could be that both clubs have a busy deadline day, with Middlesbrough still in the market for additions. A new goalkeeper is a priority, while they also have been linked with a move for former Leeds United midfielder Glenn Kamara. And there is significant uncertainty over the future of striker Emmanuel Latte Lath amid a significant bid from the MLS.