Sunderland loanee 'serious option' for parent club next season amid ongoing fitness concerns

Sunderland loanee Salis Abdul Samed could still establish himself as a “serious option” for parent club RC Lens upon his return, according to reports.

The central midfielder arrived at the Stadium of Light on a temporary agreement during the summer transfer window, but has struggled to make a consistent impact for the Black Cats in a season that has been heavily disrupted by injury. Indeed, his cameo appearance against Swansea City last weekend represented just his eighth appearance in red and white across all competitions, with six of those coming from the bench.

What has been said about Salis Abdul Samed’s potential return to RC Lens?

And with just a handful of matches left before Samed’s time with Sunderland comes to an end, speculation in France has started to mount over what the future could hold for the Ghanaian international.

To that end, Sunderland do not have an option-to-buy clause folded into their arrangement with Lens, and alongside his anticipated return to Ligue 1, it is also suggested that Will Still - who is head coach of his parent club - could look to reintegrate Samed into his first team plans.

With Nampalys Mendy set to depart at the end of the season, and with uncertainty surrounding the respective futures of Andy Diouf and Neil El Aynaoui, online outlet Allez Lens claim that Samed could still force his way back into contention - although much could depend on his ability to stay fit.

An excerpt from Allez Lens’ article reads: “In this context, the return of Salis Abdul Samed appears to be a credible option. Arriving in June 2022 to replace Cheick Doucouré, he shone alongside Seko Fofana during his first season. But the following one was much more complicated, to the point that Franck Haise excluded him from the squad. Loaned without an option to buy to Sunderland at the end of August, in the Championship, the Ghanaian midfielder is due to return to La Gaillette in June.

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“However, this return raises questions. Far from being spared from physical problems, Abdul Samed spent a good portion of his loan spell in the infirmary, suffering from a series of muscle injuries. He has only played nine league matches and only recently returned to the pitch against Swansea City, where he came on for the final fifteen minutes.

“The Lens staff remains cautious. Before considering Will Still's reintegration into the squad, they want to ensure that the player has definitively turned the page on his physical issues. If this is the case, Abdul Samed could well become a serious option for the Lens midfield again... and potentially take over from Nampalys Mendy.”

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