Reports indicate that Sunderland are on the verge of signing a French attacking midfielder to strengthen Regis Le Bris' squad ahead of the new season.

Following their impressive seventh-place finish in the Premier League last season, Sunderland are preparing for their first-ever European campaign in the 2026/27 season.

Head coach Regis Le Bris is expected to bolster his Black Cats line-up as they prepare for Europa League action, aiming to maintain balance between their domestic and European fixtures.

Sources suggest that a deal for a France Under-21 midfielder is currently in progress and could be finalised in the near future.

The player in question is NEC Nijmegen’s attacking midfielder Noe Lebreton, who is being strongly linked with a move to the Stadium of Light from the Dutch side.

Sunderland already boast ten French-speaking players in their first-team squad, a factor that may have influenced their pursuit of Lebreton. This linguistic connection could also have been a key element in Sunderland’s pitch to the France U21 international.

Last summer, Sunderland completed the signing of Dutch goalkeeper Robin Roefs from NEC Nijmegen.

Roefs, aged 23, enjoyed a highly successful debut season in English football, and it now appears the club are returning to the same source for talent once again.

Twenty-two-year-old Lebreton joined NEC last summer from SM Caen, who play in France’s Ligue 2. During his debut Eredivisie campaign, he recorded seven goals and six assists in 27 appearances.

NEC Nijmegen finished third in the Eredivisie last season with 59 points, securing a historic place in the UEFA Champions League third qualifying round for the 2026/27 campaign.

The Dutch side’s season included memorable wins over top clubs such as Feyenoord at De Kuip, and they also reached the KNVB Cup final after defeating PSV Eindhoven in the semi-final — a match in which Lebreton provided the decisive assist.

Sunderland’s recruitment drive last summer earned widespread praise, with the club bringing in notable names including Netherlands international Brian Brobbey from Ajax and Granit Xhaka from Bayer Leverkusen.

With the club clearly intent on sustaining their progress, Sunderland are once again targeting young, high-performing European talents in an effort to build on their successes from the 2025/26 campaign.

The Black Cats will kick off their new Premier League season away to newly-promoted Ipswich Town on August 22.