When Granit Xhaka took what felt like ten Leeds United players out of the game with a sumptuous pass to Simon Adingra, who then composed himself before curling a smart finish beyond the dive of Lucas Perri at the Stadium of Light back in December, was I the only Sunderland fan whose first thought was “Now he’s truly arrived and we’ll see what he can bring to the table if he’s given an extended run in the side”?
As we eventually shared the spoils with the visitors from Elland Road, that goal really
felt like a breakthrough moment for the Ivory Coast international.
To my mind, it was the perfect response to being omitted from his country’s AFCON squad and as he dropped to his knees in celebration with his teammates surrounding him, I really believed we’d seen something that would kickstart his Sunderland career, putting him back into favour with Régis Le Bris after murmurings about his work rate and defensive diligence.
Sadly, things didn’t work out that way.
Just over one month later, Adingra has made a swift Wearside exit after being loaned to Ligue 1 side AS Monaco, with Ecuadorian winger Nilson Angulo set to arrive from Anderlecht as the latest addition to our talented legion of wingmen.
A sharp, ruthless and possibly brutal reversal of fortune? Perhaps. A move that in some ways is justifiable and was needed for both the benefit of the squad and Adingra himself? Many would say yes.
In the first instance, his summer signing from Brighton was by no means the most ill-advised we could’ve made as we sought pace and dynamism on the flanks ahead of our return to the Premier League.
As a 2023 AFCON champion and a player who was seemingly highly rated down on the south coast — albeit with a cautionary note sounded about his consistency when the opinions of Brighton fans were canvassed before and after his transfer was completed — I was excited by his arrival on Wearside and was hopeful that he could make a major impact in the red and white stripes.
Sadly, despite his goal against Leeds and an assist during our opening-day victory over West Ham, his spell at the Stadium of Light hasn’t lived up to that initial promise and it feels unlikely that he’ll play any further part in what we all hope will be Sunderland’s story of continued progress during 2026 and beyond.
Although we’ve at least cushioned any financial blow by virtue of how we’ve structured his loan arrangement, it does represent a rare blip in terms of representing a transfer that didn’t work out as planned — albeit with our strike rate for new signings still more than good enough to deem that particular window a success.
The speed at which Adingra was moved on surprised me.
As recently as last weekend, I felt he would be given further opportunities to play his way back into form and prove that he could make the grade at this level, but it also brought into sharp focus the standards being set, the demands placed on our players and the qualities you’re expected to bring to the table.
Nowadays, Sunderland is a club where careers can be launched and reputations enhanced, but no new signing will find the going easy and in the quest to establish ourselves as a genuine competitive force at this level, that’s the way it has to be — and occasionally in spite of supporters such as myself who are eager to see players given every opportunity to prove their worth even as their form fluctuates.
It’s obvious that despite his Gallic charm, level-headed interviews and even-tempered nature, Le Bris is a hard taskmaster.
In order to earn and retain a place in a team coached by him, you must combine skill, footballing intelligence, physicality, adaptability and perhaps most importantly a willingness to graft for the entirety of the ninety minutes.
Adingra’s profile and style of play — that of a winger who plays off the front foot, was more effective in wide open spaces and for whom tracking back perhaps wasn’t a high priority — has evidently not gelled with the head coach’s ideals and therefore a parting of the ways feels mutually beneficial.
With any luck, Angulo will prove to be another previously unearthed gem of an addition and we can continue to work on the attacking side of our game during the remaining games of the season, but loaning out such a high-profile player sends a very strong message in itself: talent alone isn’t enough nowadays, and no decision will be shirked if the team can possibly benefit as a result.
That in itself feels like a bit of a shock given our historical reputation for indulging players who didn’t perform consistently enough, but hopefully Adingra can use this opportunity as a chance to reset and get back into the groove — and the club deserves credit for ensuring that a very talented footballer will be playing at a decent level for the remainder of the campaign.
