The countdown is very much on until Premier League football finally kicks back into gear at the Stadium of Light.
This coming Saturday’s opening contest for Sunderland against West Ham United is merely four days away now, with a hope on the Black Cats’ end that they don’t choke under the intense pressure of top-flight action from the get-go.
Instead, Regis Le Bris will be hoping for a confident display from his side against the Hammers, with the Frenchman given plenty of options to work with this summer transfer so far, having acquired 11 brand new signings in total.
That number looks set to increase even more before September’s early deadline, as the top-flight newcomers now enquire to bring this Premier League star to Wearside.
Sunderland plot deal for PL ace
Omar Alderete proved to be the latest addition to Le Bris’ ranks on Tuesday afternoon, with the 28-year-old Getafe defender making the switch from Spain for a fee of around £10.4m.
He might well be joined by another centre-back body in the form of Lloyd Kelly, with reports suggesting that the Black Cats have also made a £17m approach for the ex-Newcastle United defender to try and tempt him to Wearside.
Sunderland aren’t done in the midfield department, either, if other rumours are to be believed, even as the Frenchman already has the likes of Habib Diarra and Granit Xhaka at his disposal.
Reports filtering out from Italian outlet Tuttosport suggest that the Black Cats have lodged an enquiry about signing Brighton and Hove Albion ace Matt O’Riley, amid Juventus also being keen on landing the 24-year-old.
The former Celtic man is an in-demand figure this summer, with Nottingham Forest also being named as another party that has inquired about the ex-Hoops number 33, who has a transfer value of around €30m (£26m), as per the report.
Adding another versatile midfielder to the camp could be bad news for Chris Rigg ahead of the step-up in quality, as the teenage sensation fears for his gametime with the numbers in the group increasing.
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Why O'Riley signing would be bad news for Rigg
Season by season, Rigg has slowly found himself climbing up the first team pecking order, so much so that the 18-year-old collected four goals last campaign under Le Bris’ wing.
However, even with the ex-Lorient boss lauded by Sunderland academy manager Robin Nicholls for the “outstanding” way he gets the maximum out of youngsters, the Frenchman will still be aware that over-relying on Rigg in such a daunting division could be foolish, especially if O’Riley is now available to buy.
After all, much like Xhaka, whom he could soon potentially line up alongside in the middle of the park for Sunderland, O’Riley has bags of top-flight experience in some testing environments, with the 24-year-old viewed as a modern-day hero to those with Celtic connections.
Indeed, O’Riley would go on to amass a stunning 27 goals and 35 assists across 124 appearances in Glasgow, leading to Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers labelling the £26m-rated midfielder as “phenomenal”.
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O’Riley’s sublime performances in Scotland would see him seal a deal with the Seagulls, with the four-time Scottish Premiership winner also settling in well on the South Coast – when injuries haven’t troubled his short stay to date – as seen in his two goals and three assists for Fabian Hurzeler’s men.
This vast knowledge of some tough leagues instantly places O’Riley above Rigg in the updated pecking order, on top of the fact that the four-time Denmark international can also slot into multiple different positions in the midfield department, much like his far more raw counterpart.
While Rigg might have to make do with spots on the substitutes bench moving forward, O’Riley joining could also be seen as a blessing for the youngster, with the 18-year-old able to learn and grow even more under the Dane’s tutelage.
Once hailed as “one of the most intelligent footballers” he’s ever worked with by now Rangers boss Russell Martin, this feels like a standout addition if it were to take place, with Le Bris’ options brimming with even more quality if O’Riley joins imminently.