Sunderland have signed a star who looks like their next Le Fee

Sunderland had been left feeling annoyed on Saturday evening after they had been overwhelmed 2-0 by Premier League champions Arsenal on the Stadium of Gentle.

The Black Cats received themselves right into a terrific place to take cost of the match after they had been awarded a penalty with the rating at 0-0 within the second half.

Sadly, Enzo Le Payment’s penalty was brilliantly saved by Spain worldwide David Raya, as he received all the way down to his left shortly to show the shot away from the underside nook.

The Gunners then went on to win the sport 2-0, due to targets from Bruno Guimaraes and Bukayo Saka, however Le Payment shouldn’t take an excessive amount of of the blame for the consequence.

Why Enzo Le Payment doesn’t deserve any criticism

While the penalty might have been higher from the French attacking midfielder, the Sunderland star struck his effort properly and it might have nestled within the backside nook if Raya had not guessed the correct manner or been so fast all the way down to it.

It was extra of a terrific save than a nasty penalty from Le Payment, who did rating a penalty in opposition to Brentford within the earlier Premier League match, which is why the midfielder shouldn’t face a lot, if any, criticism for the loss to Arsenal.

On prime of that, the 26-year-old star has been the membership’s most efficient and dependable performer on the prime finish of the pitch for the reason that begin of final season, and needs to be given extra leeway due to that.

While Brian Brobbey, who was the staff’s prime goalscorer with seven Premier League targets final time period, can usually take the headlines together with his spectacular bodily attributes, it was Le Payment who led the way in which for objective contributions within the 2025/26 marketing campaign.

The French star has proven that he can provide targets and creativity frequently from an attacking midfield place, and he appears set to be a key participant for the membership once more this season, regardless of his miss in opposition to Arsenal.

Sunderland have already discovered their subsequent Le Payment

Sunderland want extra gamers to step up with extra targets and assists to enhance the assault, and Brobbey’s lack of targets to date this season doesn’t recommend that he’s on his option to doing that.

The Black Cats, although, have already signed an attacker who’s much more thrilling than the Netherlands worldwide and does have the potential to be the membership’s subsequent Le Payment.

After loads of hypothesis all through deadline day, Sunderland finally secured a deal to signal Lyon winger Malick Fofana for £31m on the finish of the summer season switch window, regardless of late curiosity from Premier League rivals Crystal Palace.

The Belgium worldwide remains to be settling into life in England and on the Stadium of Gentle and has solely made two substitute appearances within the league to date, which signifies that one of the best is but to come back from the ahead.

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Fofana endured an injury-hit 2025/26 marketing campaign with Lyon, which restricted him to 16 appearances in all competitions, however his kind up to now for the French facet means that he might be a Le Payment-esque determine for Sunderland.

While Brobbey’s return of 13 targets in 76 video games for Ajax and Sunderland mixed for the reason that begin of the 2024/25 marketing campaign doesn’t recommend that he’s prone to ship constantly within the last third, Fofana’s performances for Lyon do.

The Belgian attacker racked up 11 targets and 7 ‘huge possibilities’ created in 21 begins in Ligue 1 and the Europa League that season for the French membership.

Fofana, like Le Payment, is an attacking midfielder who can provide targets and assists frequently when taking part in repeatedly, however he has not performed sufficient common soccer, because of damage, up to now 18 months or so.

Sunderland have to supply the 21-year-old winger with the alternatives that he must make an affect within the last third within the Premier League by giving him minutes week-in-week-out as a starter.

Le Payment turned a star for the Black Cats by taking part in repeatedly within the Premier League final season, and Fofana might observe in his footsteps by scoring and creating targets at a powerful charge from the wing.

Fofana is much more thrilling than Brobbey due to his spectacular kind for Lyon up to now, and it’s now all the way down to Regis Le Bris to get one of the best out of the £31m-rated star.

The younger ahead has already proven that he can produce high quality on the prime degree, as proven by his output in France, and it’s as much as him to hold that over to English soccer.

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