I’ve watched enough of Noah Sadiki at Sunderland to know what his ceiling truly is
Noah Sadiki has already surpassed our expectations at Sunderland.
Sunderland signed 14 new players in the summer transfer window, and while the likes of Granit Xhaka and Nordi Mukiele have been well-known for a while, there were a few additions that even the biggest of Football Manager nerds (me) had never heard of.
Sadiki was one of them, arriving from Belgian Pro League side Union Saint-Gilloise in a deal worth around £15million plus add-ons.
Since then, the DR Congo midfielder has started every game for the Black Cats, and I can already tell that he is going to be a hero on Wearside.
Sunderland really do have their own N’Golo Kante
I won’t be alone in this, but I still remember turning up to the Stadium of Light to watch the likes of Darron Gibson, Josh Scowen and Didier Ndong attempt to play football.
If you do as well, congratulations, we made it through.
Now, we are lining up with a former Ballon d’Or contender in Xhaka, and the closest thing to a N’Golo Kante regen we may ever see on Wearside.
Sadiki has been outstanding for Sunderland, and despite us being just seven games into the season, he is already growing in confidence with each and every appearance.
| N’Golo Kante (2016) | Stats per 90 | Noah Sadiki |
| 2.35 | Interceptions | 1.44 |
| 73.5% | Dribble success | 62.5% |
| 5.65 | Duels won | 4.04 |
| 88.8% | Pass accuracy | 85.4% |
Kante betters Sadiki in every stat, but that is not the point.
These are stats from Kante’s first season at Chelsea back in 2016, when he was in his prime and considered among the best in the world, compared to a 20-year-old Sadiki, who is seven games into his Premier League career.
However, the similarities are blinding, and every time I’ve watched Sadiki play this season, he has had shades of the French international in his game.
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Noah Sadiki is a ball-winning machine
His work in the final third could maybe do with some work, but outside of that, I struggle to think of an area of his game that Sadiki needs to improve on significantly.
His primary role is to break up the play and get Sunderland forward, and he does that very, very well.
His duel win rate is by far the best out of Sunderland’s typical midfield trio, and his ability to drive forward with the ball is also a key part of his game.
Sadiki’s low centre of gravity is incredible, and that gives him Lionel Messi vibes in terms of how he can hold off players who are significantly bigger and stronger than him.
I can’t say I took too many positives from Sunderland’s defeat to Man United, but one moment from Sadiki in particular in the game certainly caught my eye.
This did not amount to anything in the end, but this was just one of several line-breaking passes that Sadiki pulled off at Old Trafford, and it has been a theme of his game since he made the move to the Stadium of Light.
I’ve watched enough of Sunderland over the years to tell you at least 10 different players who would have turned backwards and played that ball into Dan Ballard’s feet.
How good can Noah Sadiki really be?
I said I know what his ceiling is, and I do; it is at the very top of football.
Sadiki has years of development ahead of him and has already adapted to the Premier League better than anyone could have imagined.
Many will see the comparisons to Kante as boring or lazy, but he is remarkably similar in the way that he plays.
Sunderland have a gem on their hands with the 20-year-old, and he will have a crucial role to play throughout the season.
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