Sunderland manager Régis Le Bris has reportedly raised serious concerns inside the club just days before the Premier League opener, with the Frenchman believed to be pushing for one final signing before his side begins life back in England’s top flight.
According to the report surrounding this story, Le Bris has become increasingly worried that Sunderland could enter the new campaign with one important area of the squad still lacking the quality and depth required for the demands of Premier League football.
And at the centre of that concern is believed to be the right side of Sunderland’s attack.
The report is that Le Bris has identified Sporting CP winger Geny Catamo as the player who could provide the pace, directness and attacking threat he believes Sunderland need.
With the opening Premier League fixture now rapidly approaching, the manager is said to have made it clear to Sunderland’s recruitment hierarchy that he does not want the club to underestimate the importance of strengthening before the campaign begins.
Behind the scenes, the report, suggests that Le Bris has been involved in discussions over the club’s remaining transfer plans and has made it clear that he wants another attacking option capable of changing games.
Catamo, in this report, has emerged as the preferred solution.
The Mozambique international would represent a major addition to Sunderland’s attacking options, particularly because of his ability to operate from the right flank, attack defenders and create opportunities from wide areas.
But there is a problem.
Sporting CP are not expected to make the negotiations straightforward, and that is where the tension surrounding Sunderland’s final transfer push begins.
The report, has Le Bris becoming increasingly concerned that time could run out before Sunderland manage to reach an agreement.
The manager’s fear is not necessarily that Sunderland lack quality altogether. Instead, his concern is that the Premier League will punish even the smallest weaknesses, particularly against teams capable of exploiting a lack of pace and creativity in wide areas.
Le Bris therefore wants Sunderland to act before the opportunity disappears.
Inside the report, the message from the manager is blunt: Sunderland cannot afford to enter the Premier League campaign believing the squad is finished if there is still one obvious area that can be strengthened.
That has reportedly placed additional pressure on Sunderland’s recruitment team to accelerate negotiations.
For supporters, the situation creates an intriguing question.
Is Catamo genuinely the final piece Le Bris believes Sunderland need, or could the club decide that the financial demands involved make the deal too risky?
He wants a winger who can give Sunderland another dimension, someone capable of stretching opponents, creating uncertainty and providing an attacking outlet when matches become difficult.
And with the Premier League opener getting closer, every passing day increases the pressure.
Sunderland have worked hard to build a squad capable of competing at the highest level, but Le Bris knows that the difference between surviving and struggling can sometimes come down to one position, one player or one decision.
That is why Catamo has become such an intriguing name in this report.
If Sunderland can complete the deal, Le Bris could begin the Premier League campaign believing his attacking options are finally complete.
If they cannot, however, the manager may have to find another solution and quickly.
For Sunderland fans, that is what makes the final days before the opener so fascinating.
The Premier League is almost here.
And according to this report, Régis Le Bris does not believe Sunderland can afford to get this final decision wrong.
