Sunderland star touted for summer exit amid Everton interest and ‘final straw’ claim
Sign up to our Sunderland AFC newsletter
Sunderland striker Wilson Isidor could look to push through an exit from the Stadium of Light this summer, amid transfer interest from Premier League rivals Everton, according to reports.
The Frenchman started the season brightly, and established himself as Regis Le Bris’ first choice centre-forward during the early weeks of the campaign, scoring four goals in the process. He hasn’t found the back of the net since late October, however, and has since been displaced at the point of the Black Cats’ attack by Brian Brobbey.
It was within this context that Sunderland reportedly fielded interest in Isidor from a whole host of clubs during the January transfer window, with the likes of Everton and Turkish giants Besiktas amongst those touted as admirers.
And now, a fresh update from online outlet Football Insider reaffirms the Toffees’ keenness on the 25-year-old, as well as suggesting that frustrations over a lack of consistent game time in the North East could ultimately convince him to seek a transfer away from Sunderland over the coming months.
It is stated that Isidor is “unhappy with his lack of gametime at the Stadium of Light, and he may be ready to move and take on a new challenge if his situation hasn’t improved by the summer”, and that “the Black Cats are looking to strengthen their group again in the summer in order to continue pushing forward”, which “may serve as the final straw” for the attacker.
At the time of writing, Isidor has recorded just 63 minutes of Premier League football since the turn of the year, and while he did start Sunday afternoon’s FA Cup tie against Oxford United, he was withdrawn shortly after the hour-mark.
Advertisement
The Echo has launched a new WhatsApp SAFC Channel to bring the latest news, analysis and team & injury updates direct to your phone. Simply click this link to join our SAFC WhatsApp channel.
What has Sunderland head coach Regis Le Bris said about Wilson Isidor?
Speaking about Isidor’s situation in late January, Le Bris told a press conference: “For Wilson, I’ve had many conversations with him and his agent recently. He’s a really good player, important for us, did really well in the past and for sure in the future as well.
“We still have momentum and I think for Sunderland at the minute it’s really positive to have Brian in good form. And two strikers, Eli [Mayenda] and Wilson, ready to go. It’s normal to have some difficult periods because they are still young, new in the league. So I don’t know if it’s possible to sustain the level for a whole season in this league. So it’s just normal to have different periods.”
He added: “Yes, sure [he is frustrated at the moment], which I think is acceptable, it’s not new in professional life. I think you have to accept good and bad periods, I think if we compare with last season, he had more or less this dynamic, he started well, then struggled a bit, and then went back at the end of the season, so he’s learning, we are here to support him, to challenge him, so now the connection is really good, really positive, really open, so I can explain what I expect from him, he can give me feedback about the set-up, what he finds difficult to get better, so I think this connection is really positive, even if he struggles a bit at the minute.”
