BURNLEY, ENGLAND - JANUARY 17: Enzo Le Fee of Sunderland (R) talks with head coach Regis Le Bris prior to the Sky Bet Championship match between Burnley FC and Sunderland AFC at Turf Moor stadium on January 17, 2025 in Burnley, England. (Photo by Ian Horrocks/Sunderland AFC via Getty Images)
Enzo Le Fee’s debut against Burnley on Friday night impressed Sunderland supporters, but the new recruit may not be around for long.
When Regis Le Bris enticed his former player, Enzo Le Fee, to Wearside earlier this month, he assisted Sunderland in making one of the most thrilling acquisitions in Championship history.
For this week’s 0-0 draw with promotion rivals Burnley, the Black Cats’ manager started the Frenchman right away, and Le Fee greatly impressed the supporters.
However, since the 24-year-old is still a Roma player and might return to the Italian team in the summer, Sunderland fans would be well to avoid becoming attached to him.
The end of the season will mark Claudio Ranieri’s retirement. Enzo Le Fee might make a fresh start at Roma.
Le Fee just moved to Roma for £19 million last summer, but he had a hard time getting consistent playing time at the Stadio Olimpico, particularly after Claudio Ranieri took over as manager.
After a challenging start to life in Italy, Le Fee is now focused on playing frequently, and he will undoubtedly see a lot of action under Le Bris in the second part of this season.
However, according to Roma Press (via Twitter/X), Ranieri will be leaving the game at the end of the current campaign, which may present Le Fee with a new opportunity at his parent club.
Speaking on Le Fee’s “misfortune” at Roma, Ranieri acknowledged that he was never given the opportunity to give the player a genuine chance. Whoever succeeds Ranieri, meanwhile, might have a different perspective and choose to make Le Fee a major component of Roma’s plan for the upcoming campaign.
Le Fee was eager to join Sunderland, but he would undoubtedly seize the opportunity if he could succeed at Roma.
If Sunderland doesn’t get promoted, they won’t have any chance of keeping Le Fee.
Naturally, Le Fee’s future will be greatly influenced by how Sunderland finishes the season, specifically by the league they play in the next year.
Sunderland will activate the purchase obligation clause on Le Fee, which is estimated to be worth £19.23 million, if they are able to advance from the Championship this season.
Le Fee would love the challenge at Sunderland if they were to make it to the Premier League. But if he fails, the midfielder will undoubtedly think about his choices since, quite honestly, he is far above the level of a Championship player and should be playing at the highest level.
Sunderland supporters will be hoping that by the end of the season, Le Fee will have forgotten all about his Italian dream and fallen in love with life at the Stadium of Light. He will undoubtedly feel that he has unresolved business at Roma and something to prove there.
