Sunderland lodge 'enquiry' for former Leeds United man as Championship promotion rivals reveal transfer plans
The latest transfer talk from Leeds United and their Championship rivals as the January transfer window draws ever closer.
Leeds United are reportedly set for a reunion with a former star as the race for promotion into the Premier League intensifies.
The Whites enjoyed a productive start to their festive fixtures as they took maximum points from last weekend’s home game with Oxford United and their Boxing Day visit to Stoke City. The latter of those victories, coupled with leaders Sheffield United falling to a 2-0 home defeat against third placed Burnley, took Daniel Farke’s side to the top of the table and they can enter the new year at the summit with a win at Derby County on Sunday evening.
Several other clubs remain in the hunt and it is Sunderland who are said to be set to launch an enquiry for a player that left Elland Road in the aftermath of last season’s failed promotion bid. The Black Cats are unbeaten in their last five games following their Boxing Day draw at Blackburn Rovers - and head coach Regis Le Bris is believed to be keen to improve his squad from a position of strength during the January transfer window.
Although several summer signings have worked for the former Lorient boss, the loan signing of Lens midfielder Salis Abdul Samed has not after the 19-times capped Ghana international has not featured for the Black Cats as he continues to struggle with a muscle injury. There is some hope Samed could return to training over the next week and take a step closer to making his long-awaited debut for the Stadium of Light outfit.
Speaking last week, he told The Sunderland Echo: “Salis should train next week and Ahmed we'll have to wait two more weeks for him to be with the group, but he's training with the physical trainers now. It's difficult to say [when Salis will debut] because he was injured for five months now. It could be one or two weeks more, I don't know really. It's difficult when you are a good player and you know you can play in a good team and you're in the physio room all day. But it has created opportunities for others. That's the way it is.”
Although his summer signing is taking positive steps, the latest reports in France have suggested Le Bris is ready to make a move to take former Leeds United midfielder Glen Kamara back to the Championship. French outlet Jeunes Footeux have claimed the Finland international has been the subject of an enquiry from the Black Cats as Le Bris ‘plans to recruit a defensive midfielder’ in January. The former Rangers man made 42 appearances in all competitions for the Whites last season but was allowed to join Ligue 1 club Stade Rennais in a deal believed to be worth around £7m during the summer. He has made 13 appearances for his new club so far this season but could be set to leave next month after the report suggested his name was on a list of players who manager Jorge Sampaoli ‘does not count on for the second half of the season’.