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A French football expert has questioned whether one new Sunderland recruit is ready for the physical nature of English football.
The Black Cats are coming off the back of an impressive return to the EFL Championship last season.
Following four years in the third tier of English football, Sunderland returned to the Championship with high hopes of back-to-back promotions. They fell just short, finishing 6th and being beaten in the play-offs by eventual winners Luton Town.
In an attempt to strengthen his side’s chances this season, manager Tony Mowbray has dipped into the transfer market.
The club made eleven signings, including league stalwart Bradley Dack and superstar Jude Bellingham’s younger brother Jobe.
However, it is full-back Timothée Pembélé who still has some convincing to do in the eyes of one journalist.
What has been said about Timothée Pembélé?
Speaking to the Sunderland Echo, CBS Sport’s French football expert Jonathan Johnson gave his thoughts on whether or not the 20-year-old Frenchman will be a success at the Stadium of Light.
Questioned on what areas of his game could be improved, Johnson said of Pembélé:
“He is not the most physical and needs to work on his delivery.”
Johnson doubled down on his claims that the full-back doesn’t possess the physicality needed – when asked if the player is ready for Championship football, he added:
“Like I said, he is not the most physical, so that and the pace of games might take him by surprise.”
Pembélé has not long returned from a cruciate ligament injury that saw him sidelined for several months. Johnson mentions that the severity of the injury and the timing of it was awful and may well have hindered his development.
Despite being uncertain about whether the youngster is ready for the challenge of representing Sunderland, Johnson did state that the defender had “a good eye for a pass” and that “his tactical understanding of the game will be strong given his education at Ligue 1’s biggest club.
Why did Pembélé leave PSG?
Pembélé moved to Wearside from French giants Paris Saint-Germain on deadline day.
He made 15 appearances for the Ligue 1 champions, scoring once and assisting on a further occasion.
Despite showing promise, the defender was firmly behind established stars Achraf Hakimi and Nordi Mukiele.
In 2021, he went on loan to fellow French side Bordeaux, where he made 28 appearances but his season was cut short in April when he suffered a horrible injury that would see him ruled out for the rest of the year.
Many had high hopes for the versatile defender, who can play anywhere across the back line.
Talent scout Jacek Kulig, meanwhile, once labelled Pembélé as one of the nation’s “endless production of gold” in 2022, around the time the defender was nearing his comeback from injury.
Following his arrival on deadline day, Pembélé was introduced to the Mackem faithful during their 5-0 demolition of Southampton.
The result is likely to be a reassuring one for the new signing, who will look to force his way into the team when Sunderland visit QPR on September 16th.
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