Luke O’Nien sends message to Simon Adingra after achievement away from Sunderland
Simon Adingra’s time at the Stadium of Light was short, but he appears to have made plenty of friends at Sunderland.
The Ivorian is now plying his trade in Ligue 1 for AS Monaco after completing a loan move on the winter transfer deadline.
His deal for the French league outfit includes an option to buy, so the 24-year-old may have played his last game for the Mackems. Adingra’s move to Monaco has also allowed him to achieve a career first.
On Tuesday, 17 February, the winger made his Champions League debut as his side lost 3-2 to current holders PSG in the first leg of the play-off round.
Despite the loss, Adingra was proud of his achievement, expressing his pride on his Instagram account.
The former Black Cats forward received plenty of love, with Luke O’Nien responding to his post with a lightning bolt emoji.
Additionally, Dan Ballard, Chris Rigg, Granit Xhaka, and Kyril Louis-Dreyfus were among those who left a like on the post.
Why Sunderland fans should care about Simon Adingra’s Monaco spell
While Adingra is no longer at Sunderland, supporters will still be keeping a close eye on how he does at Monaco.
His loan move includes an option to buy, as previously mentioned, which means his performances could directly impact the Black Cats.
If Monaco opt to keep the Ivorian following this season, Sunderland will recoup a further £16million on top of the £870,000 loan fee they received.
Ahead of the 2025-2026 season, the Mackems spent £18m on bringing the 24-year-old to the club, who ended up scoring just the one goal for the Wearside club.
Receiving close to what they paid for a player that did not work out at the Stadium of Light would be an excellent sale.
How did Adingra fare on his Champions League debut?
Playing against PSG on any given day is tough, but Adingra did not have the best of showings against the current Champions League holders.
The Ivory Coast international played 70 minutes and only attempted 10 passes, eight of which were successful.
Additionally, he completed zero dribbles and managed to win just one of his four contested duels, as per Sofascore.
Overall, he was handed a rating of 6.1 in what was ultimately both a night to forget and a memorable one for the Sunderland loanee.
Hopefully, over the next few weeks the performances can pick up, and Monaco will decide to take up that option to buy.
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