'Maybe': Régis Le Bris outlines plan for players who didn't make Sunderland's Premier League squad

Régis Le Bris has revealed that Sunderland are still hopeful that they can find a move for a couple of the players not in his first-team plan this season.

The Black Cats told a number of players at the start of the summer that they were free to move on this summer, but progress in finding a new club has been slow. Sunderland have sealed a couple of outgoing transfers since the UK deadline at the start of September, with Nazariy Rusyn and Milan Aleksic moving on loan to the Polish top tier.

There are now only a handful of leagues whose window is still open. The Turkish transfer window closes today [Friday] and the Greek window tomorrow [Saturday], with the Mexican window one of the last to close on September 13th.

Sunderland's 25-man squad for the Premier League season was revealed today, with a handful of fringe players - including the likes of Ian Poveda, Joe Anderson, Abdoullah Ba, Jay Matete, and Timothee Pembele - not named. U21 players do not have to be named in the squad, while the Black Cats also had to name eight homegrown players who were registered with an English or Welsh club for three full seasons before their 21st birthday.

Le Bris says those who do not find a new club will likely have to train predominantly with the U21 group.

"Maybe one or two opportunities are still possible [for players to leave]," Le Bris said.

"But after that, they will be around the squad. So the current process is still the same. We need 20, 21, 22 players to organise a session. So after that player 23, 24, 25, it will depend on injuries, the way we can manage the load. We can have two or three more involved in the process. After that, you have to train with the second squad."

Sunderland also have the option to loan some of their younger players to a National League club, with no transfer deadline in place for the fifth tier.

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For those who have been named in the 25-man squad but have so far found their opportunities limited, Le Bris says Enzo Le Fée has already demonstrated how quickly their fortunes can change if they are ready to take the opportunity when it comes.

“I think it starts with conversation,” Le Bris said.

“It's always like that. If they are aware of the situation, we have to step up in this Premier League. The gap is huge. And we want to fill this gap, but we need time to do it. We need support with new players and we need competition. For example, we can speak about Enzo. Enzo didn't start. Wilson didn't start, but they trust the process. They trust the challenge through the squad and the way we organise the competition in the team.

“So they know that they will have the opportunity, they will have the challenge, they will have the support, and everyone is involved in the project. So at the minute, it's not difficult to manage this part.”

Sunderland’s Premier League squad 2025/26 confirmed

Sunderland’s confirmed Premier League squad for the 2025/26 campaign is as follows:

25 Squad players (*Home grown)

• Adingra, Simon
• Alderete Fernandez, Omar Federico
• Alese, Ajibola Joshua Odunayo*
• Ballard, Daniel George*
• Brobbey, Brian Ebenezer Adjai
• Cirkin, Dennis*
• Geertruida, Lutsharel Emiliano
• Hjelde, Leo Fuhr
• Hume, Trai
• Isidor, Wilson
• Le Fee, Enzo Jérémy
• Mandava, Reinildo Isnard
• Masuaku Kawela, Fuka-Arthur
• Moore, Simon William*
• Mukiele Mulere, Nordi
• Mundle, Romaine Lee*
• Neil, Daniel James*
• Nna Noukeu, Blondy Rudolph*
• O'Nien, Luke Terry*
• Patterson, Anthony William*
• Roefs, Robin Gerardus Petrus
• Traore, Bertrand Isidore
• Xhaka, Granit

U21 players (Contract and Scholars)

• Abdullahi, Ahmed
• Aleksic, Milan
• Allan, Isaac Jacob
• Bainbridge, Oliver James
• Barker, James Charles
• Bell, George Brian
• Bell, Luke Anthony
• Bowman, Arron Stephen
• Brown, Wess Jay
• Burke, Marshall Aaron
• Burns, Matthew Evan
• Cameron, Daniel Robert
• Campbell, Lewis Graham
• Cowan, Joseph Christopher Leonard
• Diarra, Mouhamadou Habib
• Dinsdale, Charles Richard
• Geragusian, Finn Casper Adam
• Hamilton Forsyth, Charlie James
• Hester, Bayley
• Holcroft, Finlay
• Hunt, Liam
• Hunter, Harry Zane
• Johnson, Zak Robert
• Jones, Harrison Martin
• Jones, Jaydon Mark
• Jones, Jenson Oliver
• Kindon, Ben Anthony
• Lavery, Thomas
• Lenz, Elias Konstantin Legolas
• Lienard, Alexander James
• Lightfoot, Archie Jay Stephen
• Matadeen, Jay Samuel
• Mayenda Dossou, Eliezer
• Metcalf, Benjamin Laurence
• Middlemas, Ben
• Moore, Ethan Anthony
• Neild, Joseph Matthew
• Neill, Marcus Edward
• Proctor, Tom William
• Rigg, Christopher John
• Robertson, Finley
• Sadiki, Noah Junior
• Samuel Ogunsuyi, Trey Osamuyimen
• Scott, Felix
• Shakespeare, Caleb
• Struk, Ivan
• Talbi, Chemsdine
• Tutierov, Timur
• Walsh, Rhys David
• Walton, Robert Arthur
• Waters, Jake Robert
• Whittaker, Jack Thomas
• Young, Matthew

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