It is fair to say that Sunderland have hit the jackpot in the recruitment department with the work that they have done since returning to the Premier League last year.
The Black Cats signed several proven European stars who elevated the quality of the team last summer when they brought in the likes of Granit Xhaka and Nordi Mukiele from Bayer Leverkusen and Paris Saint-Germain.
Regis Le Bris‘ side were also willing to take risks on players who had yet to prove themselves, either in England or elsewhere, and struck gold with several such signings.
Enzo Le Fee was one of those players because he joined for £19.3m from Roma after failing to score a single goal or provide any assists during his time in Italy’s capital.
Why Enzo Le Fee was a risky signing for Sunderland
The French attacking midfielder was a risky signing for the Black Cats because they signed him permanently for the Premier League after he had an inconsistent six months in the Championship.
|
24/25 Championship |
Enzo Le Fee |
|---|---|
|
Appearances |
15 |
|
xG |
0.87 |
|
Goals |
1 |
|
Minutes per goal |
999 |
|
Big chances created |
2 |
|
Assists |
1 |
|
Ground duel success rate |
50% |
|
Aerial duel success rate |
44% |
Le Fee showed flashes of quality, with two goal contributions in 15 matches, but he did not deliver goals and assists at a good enough rate to suggest that he was guaranteed to be a success in the Premier League.
Thankfully, for the Frenchman and for Sunderland, the 26-year-old did make the step up to the top-flight and proved himself to be a reliable performer, scoring six goals and providing six assists in the 2025/26 campaign.
The former Rennes star also recently became the first Black Cats star to score a goal in a European competition since 1973 when he scored the winning goal from the spot against AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League on Thursday night.
Le Fee was a risky signing for the club, given his struggles at Roma and his inconsistent output in the second tier, but it is a risk that has ultimately paid off in the long run.
Sunderland already have a bigger talent than Enzo Le Fee
After finishing seventh in the Premier League and securing Europa League football, the Black Cats went into the recent summer transfer window knowing that they could take a few more risks in the transfer market.
On deadline day, Sunderland decided to take a risk on a young player with the signing of Juan Angulo from Independiente del Valle for a fee of £5m.
The 18-year-old arrived at the Stadium of Light with no prior experience of European or English football and is still an incredibly young player who is making his way in the game, which is why this is a risky piece of business by the club.
However, the upside with Angulo is worth the risk. South American journalist Nathan Joyes described him as a “man-mountain” with “killer instincts inside the box”, adding that he is a “very good footballer and very tidy with his feet”, which is encouraging.
U23 scout Antonio Mango also dubbed him the “Ecuadorian Haaland”, due to his height, physical attributes, and technical quality, and that is an incredibly exciting comparison.
The 18-year-old striker looks to be an even bigger talent than Le Fee because he has already shown huge promise as a goalscorer at first-team level at such a young age.
|
2026 LigaPro Serie A |
Juan Angulo |
|---|---|
|
Appearances |
15 |
|
Starts |
7 |
|
Goals |
6 |
|
Minutes per goal |
117 |
|
Big chances created |
3 |
|
Assists |
3 |
|
Ground duel success rate |
48% |
|
Aerial duel success rate |
33% |
Angulo scored seven goals in 23 first-team matches for Independiente del Valle before his move to England, including a return of six goals in seven starts in the league in 2026.
The comparison to Manchester City star Erling Haaland is an interesting one because the Norway international first made his breakthrough in Europe’s major leagues with Borussia Dortmund, scoring 86 goals in 89 matches for the German side.
Haaland’s sublime form for Dortmund eventually earned him a move to Manchester City for an initial fee of around £50m in the summer of 2022, and the rest is history.
The Norwegian forward showcased his quality against Sunderland with a goal in a 5-3 win on Sunday, making it 169 goals in 205 appearances for the Cityzens.
Whilst it is a big ask for Angulo to follow exactly in Haaland’s footsteps, his return of six goals and three assists in seven league starts in 2026 shows that he is on the right track as a prolific and reliable goalscorer.
So, watch out hat-trick hero Brian Brobbey, you may well have some competition before too long.