Sunderland handed huge Enzo Le Fee update as £19m Roma star makes U-turn on Wearside move

Sunderland’s latest transfer target is Enzo Le Fee. The midfielder left Rennes for Roma in a £19million move just a few months ago, but now, he could be about to make a shock move to Wearside and aid Sunderland’s promotion push.

Regis Le Bris and Enzo Le Fee worked together at Lorient in Ligue 1. Le Fee left for Rennes in 2023 and then left Rennes for Roma in 2024, though the French midfielder has managed just six Serie A appearances since

Meanwhile at Sunderland, Le Bris has shone. Sunderland beat Portsmouth 1-0 in their last outing and Sheffield United 2-1 in the game before that, leaving just three points between themselves in 4th and Leeds United in 1st place of the Championship table.

Le Fee has emerged as a target for Sunderland for this January transfer window. It’s seemed like an unlikely target so far, but Le Fee pulled out of a move to Real Betis to give Sunderland a glimmer of hope of getting the deal done.

Now, it looks like Sunderland have more than a glimmer of hope of signing Le Fee on loan from Claudio Ranieri’s Roma.

Enzo Le Fee to Sunderland is getting closer

Italian outlet Calcio Mercato are reporting that Le Fee and Le Bris have held talks over a possible loan switch to the Stadium of Light, and that ‘contacts between the two have been positive’.

The same report adds that ‘the deal is getting closer to being closed’ and that it is ‘in the final stages’, with the deal being an initial loan move. Sunderland are ‘aiming to close the deal quickly’.

On Tuesday, it was claimed that Le Fee turned down Sunderland’s initial approach. Though it now seems like he’s changed his mind about a possible move to Wearside, which now looks to be very much in the making

Enzo Le Fee’s stats under Regis Le Bris at Lorient

Le Fee joined Lorient as a youngster in 2008, staying with the club right up until 2023. Le Bris meanwhile was involved with Lorient’s youth academy and B team from 2012 to 2022, then serving as first-team manager from 2022 to 2024.

The 24-year-old Le Fee played under Le Bris who was Lorient B manager firstly, then playing for the Frenchman when he was first-team boss too. In total, Le Fee made 142 total appearances for the club, scoring eight goals from central midfield and assisting 15 more.

For both Le Fee and Le Bris, it’ll be a welcome reunion. And especially for Le Fee, it could be a good move to quickly get his career back on track after a tough first half-season at Roma