It’s truthful to say that Sunderland have hit the jackpot within the recruitment division with the work that they’ve carried out since returning to the Premier League final 12 months.
The Black Cats signed a number of confirmed European stars who elevated the standard of the group final summer season once they introduced within the likes of Granit Xhaka and Nordi Mukiele from Bayer Leverkusen and Paris Saint-Germain.
Regis Le Bris‘ aspect have been additionally keen to take dangers on gamers who had but to show themselves, both in England or elsewhere, and struck gold with a number of such signings.
Enzo Le Charge was a type of gamers as a result of he joined for £19.3m from Roma after failing to attain a single purpose or present any assists throughout his time in Italy’s capital.
Why Enzo Le Charge was a dangerous signing for Sunderland
The French attacking midfielder was a dangerous signing for the Black Cats as a result of they signed him completely for the Premier League after he had an inconsistent six months within the Championship.
|
24/25 Championship |
Enzo Le Charge |
|---|---|
|
Appearances |
15 |
|
xG |
0.87 |
|
Targets |
1 |
|
Minutes per purpose |
999 |
|
Large probabilities created |
2 |
|
Assists |
1 |
|
Floor duel success fee |
50% |
|
Aerial duel success fee |
44% |
Le Charge confirmed flashes of high quality, with two purpose contributions in 15 matches, however he didn’t ship targets and assists at a adequate fee to counsel that he was assured to be a hit within the Premier League.
Fortunately, for the Frenchman and for Sunderland, the 26-year-old did make the step as much as the top-flight and proved himself to be a dependable performer, scoring six targets and offering six assists within the 2025/26 marketing campaign.
The previous Rennes star additionally not too long ago turned the primary Black Cats star to attain a purpose in a European competitors since 1973 when he scored the profitable purpose from the spot towards AZ Alkmaar within the Europa League on Thursday evening.
Le Charge was a dangerous signing for the membership, given his struggles at Roma and his inconsistent output within the second tier, however it’s a threat that has finally paid off in the long term.
Sunderland have already got a much bigger expertise than Enzo Le Charge
After ending seventh within the Premier League and securing Europa League soccer, the Black Cats went into the latest summer season switch window understanding that they may take just a few extra dangers within the switch market.
On deadline day, Sunderland determined to take a threat on a younger participant with the signing of Juan Angulo from Independiente del Valle for a charge of £5m.
The 18-year-old arrived on the Stadium of Gentle with no prior expertise of European or English soccer and continues to be an extremely younger participant who’s making his method within the recreation, which is why it is a dangerous piece of enterprise by the membership.
Nevertheless, the upside with Angulo is definitely worth the threat. South American journalist Nathan Joyes described him as a “man-mountain” with “killer instincts contained in the field”, including that he’s a “superb footballer and really tidy together with his ft”, which is encouraging.
U23 scout Antonio Mango additionally dubbed him the “Ecuadorian Haaland”, resulting from his peak, bodily attributes, and technical high quality, and that’s an extremely thrilling comparability.
The 18-year-old striker seems to be to be an excellent larger expertise than Le Charge as a result of he has already proven large promise as a goalscorer at first-team stage at such a younger age.
|
2026 LigaPro Serie A |
Juan Angulo |
|---|---|
|
Appearances |
15 |
|
Begins |
7 |
|
Targets |
6 |
|
Minutes per purpose |
117 |
|
Large probabilities created |
3 |
|
Assists |
3 |
|
Floor duel success fee |
48% |
|
Aerial duel success fee |
33% |
Angulo scored seven targets in 23 first-team matches for Independiente del Valle earlier than his transfer to England, together with a return of six targets in seven begins within the league in 2026.
The comparability to Manchester Metropolis star Erling Haaland is an fascinating one as a result of the Norway worldwide first made his breakthrough in Europe’s main leagues with Borussia Dortmund, scoring 86 targets in 89 matches for the German aspect.
Haaland’s chic type for Dortmund finally earned him a transfer to Manchester Metropolis for an preliminary charge of round £50m in the summertime of 2022, and the remainder is historical past.
The Norwegian ahead showcased his high quality towards Sunderland with a purpose in a 5-3 win on Sunday, making it 169 targets in 205 appearances for the Cityzens.
While it’s a huge ask for Angulo to comply with precisely in Haaland’s footsteps, his return of six targets and three assists in seven league begins in 2026 reveals that he’s heading in the right direction as a prolific and dependable goalscorer.
So, be careful hat-trick hero Brian Brobbey, you might properly have some competitors earlier than too lengthy.
