'I hope...' - Continental boss outlines desire to complete transfer for Sunderland outcast
Sunderland defender Timothee Pembele is a transfer target for Le Havre
Le Havre boss Didier Digard has admitted that he would be keen on signing Sunderland outcast Timothee Pembele this January, provided a financial agreement can be reached by all parties.
The full-back joined the Black Cats from Paris Saint-Germain in 2023, but has struggled to make any kind of meaningful impact on the first team picture at the Stadium of Light in the period since. At the time of writing, he has registered just eight senior outings on Wearside, with the most recent coming in April 2024.
Unsurprisingly, Pembele was sent out on loan last term, and enjoyed a positive stint at Le Havre, making 21 appearances and evidently endearing himself to Digard and his coaching staff. Indeed, the French head coach has openly expressed his desire to bring the 23-year-old back to the Ligue 1 club this winter.
What has Le Havre boss Didier Digard said about Sunderland defender Timothee Pembele?
As quoted by continental publication Foot Normand, Digard said: "He [Pembele] was a huge asset to us in the second half of the season because he managed to fill many positions and, above all, he brought a lot of energy and a positive attitude. Now, is it a feasible operation for us right now? We know that the Premier League is very complicated financially. I hope we can find a solution.”
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What are Sunderland plans for the January transfer window?
For their part, Sunderland are expected to bid farewell to a number of players on the fringe of Regis Le Bris’ first team squad over the coming weeks, with Pembele one of several senior talents who have found themselves ostracised from the Frenchman’s plans.
Alongside a raft of anticipated outgoings, Le Bris himself has also hinted that the club will be in the market for a smattering of reinforcements too. Speaking in a recent press conference, he said: “I don't think we'll rush this process, because we are in a good place, I think, and it's really important to find the right player to fit with our system, so it's always a question of different elements, because you have the player, you have the club, you have us, and so it's not an easy task, we'll see.
“When we say two or three spots in the squad, that means that our focus is orientated on these positions. But we don't know if we will find the right targets. So you know that maybe you can reinforce this part of the squad, this part, this part. At the end, maybe we will have zero, or one, or two, or three. We don't know, because it's connected as well with the outgoing players. So we'll see.”