Sunderland and Kylian Mbappe are two names you would not have expected to see share a sentence this summer.
But the Black Cats’ hopes of finally bringing in a reliable goalscorer to the Stadium of Light may suddenly be dependent – at least to some extent – upon the whims of Real Madrid’s latest superstar.
Sunderland have been hoping to seal a deal for Alexandre Mendy for some time now.
But – despite the striker’s departure from SM Caen seemingly imminent and despite training away from the rest of the first-team squad – the discussions appear stuck in mud, progressing at a snail’s pace.
According to Foot Mercato, Mendy has chosen Sunderland over the likes of Sampdoria and Al-Ahly.
But with Kylian Mbappe’s family set to complete their takeover of the Ligue 2 outfit, Caen’s new owners are keen to meet with Mendy in an attempt to change his mind and see him commit his future to life at the Stade Michel d’Ornano.
Whether the Mbappe clan are successful remains to be seen.
But after Caen lost another pre-season fixture without last season’s 23-goal top scorer, team-mate Mickael Le Bihan does not need to be told just how difficult it will be to move on from a man who has emerged as Sunderland’s first-choice striker target.
Sunderland hope to sign Caen striker Alexandre Mendy
“We don’t have the same style at all (without) Alex. He has scored a lot of goals here,” Le Bihan tells Actu. “It will be very hard to replace him but every striker must score goals. I want to score mine.”
The challenge may fall on 34-year-old Le Bihan to step up should the £4.2 million-rated Mendy get his dream switch to England.
But having scored only three goals last season compared to Mendy’s 23, the veteran forward would head into the new campaign with a lot to prove.
“Now, I also need to find my bearings (as a number) nine,” adds Le Bihan. “It’s been a year since I played there. I need to find my efficiency in front of goal again.”
Mendy won the Golden Boot in France’s second tier in 2023/24. The late-blooming Guinea Bissau international has also broken the 20-goal barrier in each of the last two campaigns.
His potential arrival would be a massive boost for a Sunderland side who have struggled for goals since Ross Stewart joined Southampton a year ago.
Only Jack Clarke reached double figures last season, the likes of Luis Semedo and Nazarii Rustyn yet to really prove their worth.
“By the time Sunderland came along, there was no debate anymore,” Mendy told Foot Mercato recently, confirming his desire to cross the channel and don that red-and-white shirt.
“It’s a sporting choice, and I’m really looking forward to starting this new journey.”
Mendy’s Sunderland ‘journey’, however, is yet to get underway. Stuck in the service station with a flat tyre, the Black Cats will be hoping that some progress can finally be made this week as the 30-year-old frontman looks to hit the road at last.
Black Cats remain short of a centre-forward
“Everyone could score goals. The responsibility is always on the striker, which is difficult. We know this position is always important for a team and obviously the club, the organisation, is aware of this problem,” head coach Regis Le Bris told The Chronicle earlier in July, fully aware of the issues Sunderland have faced in the final third.
“(Our search for a striker is) absolutely confidential, to be efficient at the end.
“We are working on a game model since the start of the season. If the ideas are clear and shared and understood by the players they can produce many things.
“The older players have a style of play so we have to adapt to use their strengths. This team could press high on the pitch in many games last season. It wasn’t consistent enough through the whole season but they were able to do it.
“Also the technical level is high, so we can have fast attacks, maybe six, seven, eight passes to reach the goal and also we can control the game. So it’s a question of balance and if we share this intention I think we can have an energetic game and be exciting for the fans
“The first target is the style of play, in order to win,” adds the former FC Lorient boss. “But we know we need some steps to achieve this goal, that mentality and willingness to improve.
“If the mindset is there, the first purpose, then that’s a start.”
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