Sunderland‘s rise from League One to the Europa League has gone beyond even the wildest dreams of a fanbase whose expectations had not been tempered but toppled by a crushing decline.
The return to the Premier League one year ago was a momentous occasion. The Black Cats finished seventh on their return, and the rest is history, with their sweeping summer spending paying off handsomely.
This year, the market was utilised more shrewdly, with the likes of Thomas Meunier and Dayann Methalie and Kevin Danso (on loan) and Malick Fofana strengthening a coherent squad.
Not many signings were made, but regardless, the news that Enzo Le Fee has extended his time with Sunderland until 2031 cannot be understated.
Why Le Fee extension is like a new signing
The success in tying down Le Fee to a new contract at Sunderland cannot be understated. The French playmaker is quickly establishing himself as one of the Premier League’s finest midfielders.
A natural-born playmaker, Le Fee is so much more. An all-action, combative player, he has been perfect within Le Bris’ system, making a positive impression from the off when he arrived from Roma in July 2025 after a successful half-season stint with the club in the Championship, helping them toward promotion.
Last season, he was immense, creating 13 big chances in the Premier League. Sunderland only created 64 in total, meaning Le Fee was responsible for 20% of his team’s creativity.
The Wearsiders were also among the more chance-shy teams in the division, instead reliant on their industriousness and organisation. The Stadium of Light played no small part too.
But there was someone else who arguably offered even more than Le Fee, and given that he’s into the penultimate year of his own deal, technical director Florent Ghisolfi might want to open talks sooner rather than later.
Sunderland must extend Le Bris favourite’s contract
Sunderland have made a steady start to the 2026/27 Premier League season. The international curtain has fallen down after successive defeats to Arsenal and Manchester City, title favourites, but Le Bris’ side will feel aggrieved to have been defeated on both occasions.
There is a lot to like about this new iteration of the Le Bris era, with Granit Xhaka still charging the team from the middle of the park. The one-time Arsenal captain, who arrived from Bayer Leverkusen for £17m one year ago, has been a revelation.
An all-encompassing menace of a midfielder, Xhaka is, of course, the real deal, but time is not on his side, and some may feel that his £100k-per-week contract should be allowed to run down until its expiry in 2028.
However, he looks alive in the engine room. Five performances into the campaign, Xhaka has been immense for Sunderland, and it feels like losing the 33-year-old at the end of next season could be a disaster, such is his importance and influence both as a leader and a legitimately elite-level player.
|
Xhaka with Sunderland in the Premier League |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Stats (* per 90) |
25/26 |
26/27 |
|
Matches (starts) |
34 (32) |
5 (5) |
|
Goals + assists |
1 + 6 |
0 + 0 |
|
Touches* |
67.5 |
75.6 |
|
Accurate passes* |
44.5 (84%) |
51.2 (87%) |
|
Big chances created |
9 |
5 |
|
Key passes* |
1.0 |
2.6 |
|
Possession lost* |
12.6 |
14.0 |
|
Succ. dribbles* |
0.3 |
0.8 |
|
Ball recoveries* |
4.7 |
6.6 |
|
Tackles + interceptions* |
4.9 |
3.0 |
|
Duels won* |
4.6 (60%) |
5.6 (60%) |
Remarkably, Xhaka is actually playing with even more gusto and influence than he did across the 2025/26 season.
He seems fitter, hungrier, more incisive. Not to say that the 33-year-old wasn’t an absolute phenomenon last year, but his return to the Premier League has been sensational, and he is showing little sign of slowing down.
There is a reason that Chelsea and Xabi Alonso wanted him at the heart of the new system at Stamford Bridge, but Sunderland stood firm and resisted the advances this summer.
Xhaka has more mileage in the tank. It might feel like 2028 would be the right time for him to leave, into his mid-thirties, but the truth is that this generational leader could offer another year or two of service for the Wearsiders, who have well and truly hit the jackpot with this one.