Sunderland in talks to sign “world-class” £22m star

Sunderland‘s qualification for the Europa League means that they need to add more depth and quality to their squad when the summer transfer window opens for business.

Their seventh-placed finish in the – to secure European football means that they could be competing against some top teams and be in contention to win a major trophy next season.

Regis Le Bris needs to bring in more top-quality performers who can perform on the European stage, just as they did when they brought Enzo Le Fee to the club from Roma.

The French star hit the ground running in the Premier League for the Black Cats, scoring five goals and providing six assists in 36 appearances in the 2025/26 campaign.

No Sunderland player created more ‘big chances’ (13) or produced more xA (5.92) than the 26-year-old did in the league this season, which speaks to the quality that he brought at the top end of the pitch.

The former Rennes and Roma star arrived with experience in major European leagues and European competitions and delivered consistent quality in the Premier League for the Black Cats.

Now, the club are reportedly looking at another European midfield talent who could arrive at the Stadium of Light as the manager’s next version of Le Fee.

According to Tuttomercatoweb, as relayed by Sport Witness, Sunderland are one of the teams interested in a deal to sign central midfielder Arne Engels from Celtic in the summer transfer window.

The report claims that the Black Cats and Nottingham Forest have both made contact to speak with the Scottish side about a potential deal for the Belgium international.

Forest and Sunderland are both in talks to enquire about what a move could look like for the former Augsburg talent, but it remains to be seen whether or not either of them are prepared to make a formal offer for his services.

It adds that a fee of more than £22m could be needed to sign the 22-year-old midfielder, who was signed by Celtic for £11m from Augsburg in the summer of 2024.

Why Arne Engels would be Sunderland’s next Enzo Le Fee

Like Le Fee, Engels would arrive at the Stadium of Light as a player who has experience in big competitions, having played in the Bundesliga, the Europa League, and the Champions League with Augsburg and Celtic.

The Belgian star has played under pressure on the big stage and would not be fazed by the prospect of playing in the Premier League or the Europa League for Sunderland if he completed a move to Wearside this summer.

His performances in the Europa League for the Scottish giants in the 2025/26 campaign, in particular, suggest that he would be a terrific addition to Le Bris’ squad for their European adventure.

He ranked incredibly highly among his positional peers in a host of creative metrics. In fact, Iago Aspas (eight) was the only player in the entire tournament who created more ‘big chances’ than the Belgian star.

Engels is a creative midfield player who can unlock defences from open play and set-piece situations. He was even described as “world-class” from deadballs by ex-Celtic defender Charlie Mulgrew.

These statistics suggest that the £22m-rated talent has the creative quality to be a magician for Sunderland in the same way that Le Fee was for Le Bris this season, providing the club with two midfield wizards who can create moments of magic.

On top of his quality as a creator in the middle of the park, Engels has also shown that he has an eye for goal, with 17 goals in 98 matches for the Scottish giants in all competitions, including one in the SFA Cup final last month.

The Sunderland target may not be proven in the Premier League, but he has proven himself on the European stage and has plenty of time left ahead of him to develop and improve at the age of 22.

That is why the Black Cats should be pushing to finalise a deal for the Celtic star in the coming weeks, so that they can provide Le Bris with his new version of Le Fee in the middle of the park.