‘Ahmed Abdullahi set for Sunderland stay’ after what Le Bris said at South Shields
Ahmed Abdullahi returned to Sunderland action against South Shields on Saturday.
The Black Cats kicked off their pre-season with a 4-0 win against their neighbouring side in a traditional summer friendly at the 1st Cloud Arena.
This saw the Nigeria youth international get on the scoresheet alongside Romaine Mundle, Wilson Isidor and Milan Aleksic.
Given that the 21-year-old has been absent ever since signing at the Stadium of Light, it now appears that his future is safe with the Mackems.
Le Bris all but confirms Abdullahi stay at Sunderland
With promotion to the Premier League, there were always going to be widespread changes in the squad in SR5.
This is especially the case after going up in surprising fashion with a last-gasp winner against Sheffield United at Wembley.
As a result, the current influx of star names hasn’t come as a surprise, but this is destined to result in multiple departures from the north east.
With the likes of Simon Adingra, Noah Sadiki and Habib Diarra among others coming in, sales are still surely in the pipeline.
| Name | Fee |
| Enzo Le Fee | £20m |
| Noah Sadiki | £15m |
| Habib Diarra | £30m |
| Chemsdine Talbi | £19m |
| Reinaldo | Free |
| Simon Adingra | £20.5m |
| TOTAL | £104.5m |
Many thought that this would result in an exit for Abdullahi, especially after such a disappointing first year in red and white stripes.
Despite this, Regis Le Bris has seemingly pointed towards the young striker’s future at the Stadium of Light moving into the new campaign.
Speaking to Sunderland’s official X at full-time on 12 July, he said: “It’s good to see them at that level because they struggled last season through many injuries.
“They have the opportunity to have a full pre-season, we know it is important to build this foundation for the future.”
Abdullahi has point to prove in Premier League
There is no doubt that the top division will represent a huge step in class and quality for the Black Cats after so long in the EFL.
With that being said, there are always surprising names who make the step up with ease and arguably perform at a better level than previously.
This could prove to be the case with Mackem regulars like Dan Neil, Luke O’Nien, and Anthony Patterson moving into the new campaign.
There is every chance that Abdullahi could also prove himself, something which he has to do after over 12 months without a competitive appearance.
It will certainly be interesting to see how the ex-Genk forward adapts to life in the elite tier, but it looks as if he is going to be afford an opportunity to shine.
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