Chemsdine Talbi: Where Sunderland's potential new signing will fit Régis Le Bris's plans and what he'll bring

Sunderland are expected to sign Club Brugge winger Chemsdine Talbi after positive talks.

So who is Talbi and what will he bring to the Sunderland squad? Here, we take a closer look...

Who is Chemsdine Talbi and what stage is the deal at?

Talbi is a 20-year-old winger who plays for Club Brugge. He has been with the club since 2015, a regular in their academy side that competes in the second tier of Belgian football. Having made a handful of appearances in the senior team over the couple of seasons previous, 2024/25 was Talbi's breakout year in which his game time and output grew significantly. Talbi played over 1300 minutes across 27 appearances in the Belgian top tier, as well as appearing in the Champions League. Five goals and three assists in the league represented a very solid return, particularly when you consider that only twelve of his appearances were in the starting XI.

Talbi fits Sunderland's transfer strategy this summer of signing high-potential players but ones who already have a good experience of the demands of top-level football. Talbi less experienced in terms of top-tier game time than Sunderland's other summer signings to date, but that he has played in Europe's elite competition (scoring a brace against Atalanta) is a sign of his pedigree and talent.

Talbi is a Belgium youth international but is set to represent Morocco at senior level.

Sunderland are understood to have agreed a deal with Club Brugge to sign Talbi, with the transfer fee potential reaching €20 million if all add-ons are met. Talbi is expected to sign a five-year deal. The winger was on his way to Wearside on Monday to undergo a medical and complete all the necessary paperwork. All being well, he should be announced as a Sunderland player sometime this week.

What are his key strengths and where will he likely fit into Sunderland's plans?

Watching Talbi in action during his time at Club Brugge so far, what immediately stands out is his pace. A lot of his best work is in transition, where he can burst past defenders both with and without the ball. It's clear from Sunderland's business so far that they are making a concerted effort to adapt their squad for the jump in pace and intensity that comes with Premier League football, and Talbi very much fits the bill on that front.

Talbi is very dynamic in the final third, a direct winger who likes to get involved in the final third. If we dig a little deeper into his statistics thanks to wyscout, we can quickly begin to build this picture. Talbi was 6th in the Belgian top tier for key passes per 90 minutes last season (average 0.93 per 90). He also ranked sixth for number of crosses per 90 (5.26), and ranked well for expected goals and assists per 90 against other wingers at the level. He was 10th in the division for progressive runs per 90 minutes per 90, and 13th for the total distance he progressed the ball by dribbling. One particularly notable statistic is that he ranked fourth across the entire the division for touches in the opposition penalty area per 90 (4.6). This underlines that Talbi is a player whose instinct is to get close to goal and look for scoring opportunities.

In terms of where he'll fit into Sunderland's team, it is perhaps a little early to say and it will be interesting to see how Régis Le Bris

integrates him into the side over pre-season. Talbi is primarily a right winger, and that is where has played the majority of his senior football so far. However, he has also played from the left at times and while looks far stronger on his right foot he has on occasions scored with his left. Given the way Sunderland play and how often their wingers drive infield onto their stronger foot, it's easy watching Talbi in action to imagine him operating off the left flank. Sunderland will no doubt see this as a big positive, recruiting a player who can offer dynamism and competition off both flanks.

Your next Sunderland read: The transfer and contract status of every Sunderland player explained as pre-season begins