Sunderland are now looking to bring in reinforcements, having made a very poor start to the Premier League season.
Eclipsing what they achieved in the 2026-26 campaign was always going to be difficult, after qualifying for the Europa League, but the Black Cats have fallen way short of expectations, and currently sit bottom of the Premier League table.
Regis Le Bris‘ side have only managed to amass five points from their opening nine matches, which means they are already two points adrift of safety, and the 3-1 defeat against newly-promoted Coventry City last time out is likely to be particularly concerning for the manager.
Granit Xhaka has since received criticism from journalist James Copley, who has been left unimpressed by the Switzerland international’s overall performances this season, while Noah Sadiki also struggled against the Sky Blues.
Sadiki failed to complete a single defensive action throughout the match, and lost the majority of the duels he contested, in what was a disappointing display.
|
Noah Sadiki’s performance vs Coventry |
Number completed |
|
Duels (won) |
7 (3) |
|
Touches |
38 |
|
Accurate passes |
25/30 (83%) |
|
Long balls (accurate) |
4 (2) |
|
Possession lost |
8 |
Consequently, the Black Cats may need to bolster their midfield, if they are going to avoid the drop and be competitive in the Europa League, and they have now entered contention to sign an in-demand teenager.
Sunderland enter race to sign Abdoulaye Doumbia
According to a report from Africa Foot, Sunderland have sent scouts to watch BK Hacken midfielder Abdoulaye Doumbia in action this season, with the Ivorian midfielder starting to attract plenty of attention from across Europe.
Bayer Leverkusen, Everton, Club Brugge, Strasbourg, Paris FC, Coventry City, Freiburg, Nice, Lens, and Celtic are also credited as interested parties, so Le Bris’ side may have to fend off a number of rival clubs if they are going to win the race.
The 19-year-old, who is represented by the same agent as Thomas Meunier, excels when it comes to winning back possession, averaging 8.1 defensive contributions per 90 in the Allsvenskan this season, which is the third-highest number in the BK Hacken squad.
Scout Andreas Anderson has praised the youngster for his work-rate and passing ability too, saying: “His athletic ability allows him to cover so much ground, allows him to be aggressive and front footed and helps him get to every loose ball.
“In possession, Doumbia is comfortable with the ball, rarely giving up possession. He has a high passing volume as he plays a big part of their build-up.”
Having also picked up two goals and three assists in 25 league outings this term, Doumbia is evidently a well-rounded midfielder, but he is yet to prove himself in a major league, meaning he would be a risky signing for the Black Cats, especially in a relegation battle.
