Enzo Le Fée to Sunderland: How potential loan signing would fit Regis Le Bris's plans - and why Cats want him
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Sunderland have been holding talks with AS Roma and Enzo Le Fée about an audacious January swoop for the midfielder.
While no deal has been finalised and there remains interest from other clubs in the Frenchman, Sunderland's interest tells us much about their plans for the transfer window.
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Hide AdHere, we've taken a close look at Le Fée's game to establish what he could bring to the squad, and what Sunderland are looking for this month as a result. In particular, we've focused on his outstanding 2022/23 campaign with Lorient, where he worked under then head coach Régis Le Bris...
What position does Enzo Le Fée usually take up?
One of the reasons Sunderland were for so long resistant to sign a more orthodox holding midfielder in the aftermath of Corry Evans suffering an ACL injury in January 2023 was that they prefer to develop 'hybrid' midfielders, capable of fulfilling a number of different roles. This aids squad building and in theory helps you run a leaner squad, while also adding yet more strings to the bow of your young players. Dan Neil's conversion to a deeper-lying midfielder was an example of this, with Jobe Bellingham stepping seamlessly into the role when Neil was suspended at Portsmouth earlier this season.
Le Fée would fit the bill in this regard, having played multiple midfield roles across his career. He has played as the deep-lying playmaker at times, taking the ball off the back four and launching attacks, while also operating as a much more advanced playmaker.In his breakout 2022/23 campaign under Le Bris at Lorient, however, he played predominantly as a more advanced midfielder. At times that was an eight in a 4-3-3, and at times as an ever more attacking player when the team switched to a back three when he regularly operated as one of the two numbers tens behind the striker. He did occasionally operate at the base of midfield in a 4-3-3, and as part of a double pivot in a 4-2-3-1. According to transfermarkt.com, Le Fée made 17 appearances as an attacking midfielder that season. 14 as a more traditional central midfielder, and four as the deepest of the midfielders. He has demonstrated significant versatility across his career, which will be a key part of the appeal to both Le Bris and Sunderland. As a general rule, however, Le Bris has tended to see him as most impactful when getting up to and inside the final third of the pitch.
What are his key strengths?
A closer assessment of Le Fée's successful campaign under Le Bris at Lorient, where the team finished tenth and threatened the European places before the sale of some key players in the January window, tells us much about what he brings to the side at his very best.
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Hide AdIf there would be one word to best sum up what he can add to a squad it would be creativity. Across the 2022/23 campaign, Le Fée produced 0.18 assists per 90 minutes, with an expected-assists per 90 of 0.20. That was an output superior to 89% of Ligue 1 midfielders. His progressive passing numbers were also very impressive, a tally of 6.48 per 90 better than 77% of midfielders at the level. Le Fée is equally adept at creating chances by driving forward in possession, as the stats from that campaign show. He averaged 2.85 progressive carries per 90, and 2.02 successful take ons per 90 - numbers better than 79% and 91% of Ligue 1 midfielders. Clearly he has not been able to reach that level at Roma this season, hence his lack of minutes and availability this month, but they underline his immense promise.
What's also interesting is that while being a slight midfielder with impressive passing numbers might create the impression of a weak link out of possession, his numbers from that campaign suggest that's absolutely not the case. His average of 1.9 tackles won per 90 across the season was better than 90% of fellow Ligue 1 midfielders, with his numbers for blocks and clearances also impressive. Under Le Bris he was able to demonstrate the qualities of a genuine all-action midfielder.
What would his arrival mean for Sunderland and their midfield options?
Regardless of whether or not Le Fée signs, his profile gives us a strong indication of what Sunderland might be looking for. In Sunderland's 4-3-3 he would probably be most effectively deployed as one of the two number eights, but statistically his profile most closely resembles Dan Neil's. As such, he would be more than capable of playing the number six role, particularly as we have seen Neil begin to mould it in his own image and add far more attacking dynamism than many in that position are capable of producing.
Sunderland's interest in signing a new midfielder is based on how stretched they have been in that position over the first half of the season, and the recognition that Salis Abdul Samed will need time to reach full match sharpness Any signing they make this month would likely be a player who can cover that deeper role as a result, which Le Fée evidently could. His attacking skills could also be very useful against low blocks, however, something that could add another dimension to Sunderland's game at the Stadium of Light. His arrival, or a player of his calibre, would mean Le Bris could expect to have at least one game-changing option on his bench. That's barely been the case during this campaign to date and could make all the difference in the tight race for promotion.
*All stats sourced from opta, via fbref.com
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