Sunderland boss confirms midfield duo close to signing, and one likely to leave

It promises to be a busy final couple of days of the transfer window, and Sunderland are using it to remould their midfield options.

Sunderland target Salis Abdul Samed / IMAGO / PanoramiC

Regis Le Bris has confirmed that Sunderland are close to completing deals for midfielders Salis Abdul Samed and Milan Aleksic, although Pierre Ekwah will leave to make way.

Abdul Samed and Aleksic emerged as serious transfer targets on Wednesday to herald the reshaping of Le Bris’ midfield options.

Serbian Aleksic, 18, is set to join in a £3m deal from FK Radnicki, while Ghanian Abdul Samed will arrive on loan from Lens.

Along with a newly mature Chris Rigg and the arrival of Alan Browne, it means Sunderland’s midfield will receive a serious power-up from last season.

It will mean Ekwah will leave, though, with Regis Le Bris confirming a loan deal to St Etienne with an option to buy for €7m is ‘possible.’ We understand that deal is highly likely to happen.

That is, of course, if Sunderland can complete their own midfield signings. Le Bris was expectant enough on that front to mention the two players, but he did stress they were not done yet.

"It's still uncertain, nothing is finished at the minute and so it is difficult to comment.” He said. “There are lots of different situations with different players. We are working on the striker subject, the midfielder subject, but other positions as well because there are many things that could happen in these next couple of days.

"It is possible with Samed and Aleksic, but it is not [done]. We are working hard and I hope that at the end we have a more balanced team, more talented players and so on.

“We don't know exactly yet what the situation will be but I'm confident because I think we have a good team with a strong core - and if we can add some specific elements to this core I think that the balance will be better.

“We know that this league is very long with many three-game weeks, so in these situations to have maybe two or three elements more will be interesting for us."