Chemsdine Talbi makes bold Sunderland Champions League claim
Sunderland have been one of the biggest success stories in the Premier League this season.
The Black Cats were promoted back to the top flight last May after an eight-year spell away from the division.
Following an ambitious summer that saw the likes of Granit Xhaka, Nordi Mukiele, and more make moves to the Stadium of Light, Sunderland have impressed in the Premier League, with an unbeaten home record of 12 matches.
Sitting eighth in the standings, Regis Le Bris’ side are well in the race for European football, and summer signing Chemsdine Talbi suggests that there should be no limit when it comes to Sunderland’s ambitions.
Chemsdine Talbi outlines serious Sunderland ambition
Scoring a sensational third in Sunderland’s 3-0 win against Burnley on Monday, Talbi is beginning to find his feet in the Premier League further and has insisted that the short-term goal is not just to finish where they are.
“I don’t know where we can finish, but we will for sure give everything to finish at the top,” the 20-year-old told the Sunderland Echo.
“We will not end now, we’re not thinking, ‘this is enough’. It’s not enough. We need to go full to reach the top, and we need to dream about the Champions League, Europa League. So we have the ability to do it, the squad also, so we will go 100 per cent for that.“
Talbi joined the club over the summer after coming through the ranks at Belgian outfit Club Brugge, and is beginning to further impress under Le Bris, who he described as a “great coach.”
“He feels the tactics. I don’t know how he did it, but I will never be a coach because it’s too much thinking. But we have a great coach, he knows everything about the Premier League, so really pleased with that,” he added.
Read more: Regis Le Bris names attributes he loves about new Sunderland arrival Nilson Angulo
Sunderland summer recruitment set the tone
Over the course of last summer, it became evident quickly that Sunderland were not looking to mess around in the Premier League following promotion.
Granit Xhaka arrived as the club’s marquee signing from Bayer Leverkusen, taking the captain’s armband, alongside the likes of Nordi Mukiele, Lutsharel Geertruida and Reinildo, who all carry vast European experience.
And to match the experience, Sunderland invested heavily in the exciting talent of Talbi, Noah Sidiki, Habib Diarra and more.
The Black Cats are a club on the up, with a fantastic mixture of profiles throughout the squad and a superb home record – a brilliant recipe for a side with ambitions much higher than simply resting on their laurels in the top flight.