
Enzo Le Feé's signing seems to represent a major shift in policy for Sunderland

13/01/2025 07:00
The arrival of the French midfielder caught the eye this weekend, so let's hope he can contribute after swapping Rome for Wearside, writes Phil West
For those of us who can't boast an encyclopedic knowledge of European football or who don't monitor the goings on of continental leagues on banks of TV screens, a-la James Bond media baron Elliot Carver, perhaps the most reliable barometer by which to judge the signing of Enzo Le Feé was the reaction to his loan switch on social media.
From initially feeling like it was too good to be true (let's face it, midfielders from Roma who rank very highly on most metrics aren't the kinds of signings we usually make in January), things subsequently moved swiftly as the likes of Fabrizio Romano began to suggest it was a goer and videos of Le Feé jetting into Wearside began to circulate on social media.
When the deal was confirmed on Friday night, Sunderland fans, as well as fans of clubs far and wide, had their say, with excitement, incredulity and intrigue very much the order of the day.
✍️ We are delighted to announce the loan signing of Enzo Le Fée from AS Roma!
— Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC) January 10, 2025
Welcome to Sunderland, Enzo! ❤️
'An insane signing', said one fan on Twitter. 'No idea how they've pulled this one off', said another.
'How the heck has this happened?' mused a Liverpool fan, as we grabbed the headlines and completed a transfer described last week as 'potentially the biggest Championship signing since Rúben Neves joined Wolves'.
All very exciting stuff, isn't it?
From loaning Callum Styles from Barnsley to bringing in Le Feé inside twelve months as we continue to consign the disastrous 2023/2024 campaign to the history books and move forward at pace.
In the first instance, kudos must go to Kristjaan Speakman and his team for getting this deal done. Giving Régis Le Bris the resources he needs in order to maintain our promotion challenge was always going to be key, and this is certainly a statement of intent early in the window.
On the face of it, this feels like one of those classic 'Have we really signed him?'-type of deals. When we snapped up Swedish great Stefan Schwarz back in 1999, there was an element of disbelief and this does feel similar, but it also comes with a lot of excitement about what we can achieve with Le Feé in the ranks.
It's true that a lineup of Le Feé, Jobe, Dan Neil, Salis Abdul Samed, Milan Aleksić, Chris Rigg and Adil Aouchiche represents the kind of depth that ought to make the rest of the league sit up and take notice, but juggling such a wealth of options won't be straightforward, even if gives us enviable scope to rotate as and when we need to.
Suffice it to say, we've wasted little time in making our first move of the January window.
This is a window that could be pivotal to our chances of promotion, and if Le Feé can settle on Wearside, gel with his teammates and embrace the rough and tumble world of Championship football (the likelihood of which can't be gauged with a computer, it's fair to say), he could play a key role in driving us towards a top two finish.
Is this a risky signing? Potentially, but it's also one with plenty of intrigue surrounding it, and a deal that hints at a changed mentality within the boardroom.
Le Bris Le Fée
— Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC) January 11, 2025
Reunited on Wearside ❤️
Whether Sunderland are 'ahead of the game' in terms of our current league position is certainly up for debate.
If we are, it may well have brought about a shift in transfer policy after a very encouraging first half of the season under Le Bris, but one thing's for sure: elevation to the top flight is a realistic prospect this season, and we have to seize the opportunity.
Should we fall short, it's fair to say that this team will probably be dismantled, with many of our leading lights exiting for pastures new and another summer rebuild ensuing. It's not necessarily a question of 'now or never', but it's perhaps a matter of 'now or when?', and it feels as though they're certainly seeing the potential for a highly successful campaign.
Personally, and despite all of the expectation and excitement surrounding his arrival, I'd be happy to reserve judgement on Le Feé until he gets into the team and we see how he adapts to the league.
His relationship with Le Bris should set him in good stead, and the numbers are encouraging, but I've also seen too many high-profile foreign signings pitch up in the North East and fail to deliver on their promise, so perhaps cautious optimism is the way to go.
Nonetheless, we've started the month by making a big splash, and the Lads will doubtless by buoyed by the arrival of a player who can hopefully bolster an already talented squad even further.
Let's hope he does just that.