Regis Le Bris hints at multiple January transfer departures after Sunderland defender seals short-term exit
The Sunderland head coach has been looking ahead to the January transfer window
Sunderland head coach Regis Le Bris has suggested that the club could look to move on several fringe players during the January transfer window following Zak Johnson’s loan exit to York City last week.
The promising defender completed a temporary switch to the National League promotion contenders on Friday, and will stay with Stuart Maynard’s side over the festive period, returning to the Academy of Light in early January. Johnson has made four senior appearances for Sunderland thus far, and earlier in his career, also enjoyed stints with the likes of Hartlepool United, Irish outfit Dundalk, and Notts County.
Explaining the reasoning behind the 20-year-old’s departure, Black Cats academy manager Robin Nicholls said: “This presents Zak with a great opportunity to build on his minutes in senior football. Having already spent time with Hartlepool, Dundalk, and most recently Notts County, this is a further chance for him to showcase his ability at a competitive level. We look forward to monitoring him closely in the National League.”
But Johnson is by no means the only player who has found himself in need of regular senior opportunities on Wearside in recent months. Following an ambitious summer during which 14 new faces joined the club, a number of Sunderland talents have struggled to make their way into Le Bris’ first team plans of late.
Alongside forgotten men like Ian Poveda, Timothee Pembele, and Abdoullah Ba, the Black Cats also have emerging starlets, like Harrison Jones, who have found themselves rebounding between inactivity and the occasional outing for Graeme Murty’s U21s.
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What did Sunderland head coach Regis Le Bris say about potential exits ahead of January transfer window?
And speaking in a press conference ahead of Wednesday’s Premier League draw with Liverpool, Le Bris was asked whether the aim was to find destinations for those players on the periphery of his dressing room, similar to Johnson’s recent exit.
“Yes, the next transfer window will be important for that”, the head coach responded. “It's still like a pivot in the season. We worked hard for six months, and then you have this opportunity to manage different projects.
“And the project of the player, the project of the club, have to be aligned when it's not the case. I think you can lack energy at times. So we'll have this opportunity. Zak is a good example, but we'll have two or three or four others.”
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