A concern for Sunderland at the end of last season was that they were not prolific scorers in the Premier League and needed to bolster their frontline.
Despite finishing seventh in the division and qualifying for the Europa League, a return of 42 goals in 38 matches left a concern that they may struggle for goals this season.
Their lack of attacking quality was on display in the opening game of the 2026/27 campaign as they only created 0.66 xG in their 2-1 loss to newly-promoted Ipswich Town on Saturday.
Whilst Nilson Angulo got off the mark with a goal in the first half, Moroccan winger Chemsdine Talbi continues to frustrate on the flanks for the Black Cats.
What Chemsdine Talbi needs to do to save his Sunderland career
Since signing from Club Brugge for a fee of £18m last summer, the Morocco international has failed to provide consistent quality at the top end of the pitch for Sunderland in the Premier League.
The 21-year-old winger, who can play on either flank, ended his first season in the division with a return of four goals and one assist in 28 appearances, whilst he did not create any ‘big chances’ for his teammates.
The odd goal from distance proved valuable for the Black Cats in their run to qualify for European football, but it remains to be seen how sustainable that way of scoring goals will be for him.
Regis Le Bris opted to go with Angulo and Trai Hume as his two wide players from the start against the Tractor Boys, and Talbi offered very little after he came off the bench.
Vs Ipswich | Chemsdine Talbi |
|---|---|
Minutes | 31 |
Touches | 16 |
Shots | 0 |
Key passes | 0 |
Successful crosses | 0/3 |
Dribbles | 0 |
Duels won | 0/3 |
The forward needs to offer a greater threat at the top end of the pitch to show that he deserves to play regular minutes in the side, or else he will continue to find himself on the bench, or worse.
In fact, if the Black Cats bring in another attacker who can offer more than him in the Premier League, Talbi could even find his career at the club on the brink of being over as he may be pushed too far down the pecking order.
How Sunderland could end Talbi’s career at the club
The club are now looking at a possible move for a player who has the potential to end the former Club Brugge star’s career at the Stadium of Light.
According to OnTheMinute, Sunderland are one of the teams eyeing up a potential move to sign Palmeiras winger Riquelme Fillipi before the end of the summer transfer window.
The report claims that the Black Cats and Nottingham Forest are both keeping tabs on his situation and considering moves to snap him up in the coming days.
It does not reveal how much the Brazilian club are ready to demand for the forward, but it was reported elsewhere that Zenit had an offer of £15m turned down, suggesting that it will take more than that to secure his signature.
Should the Black Cats decide to go in with an offer of more than £15m to sign the 19-year-old talent, Fillipi could be an exciting addition to Le Bris’ squad for the future.
Talbi’s aforementioned struggles, particularly in his recent Premier League matches, show that the club need to find reinforcements for their attack before the window slams shut, as their wide players are not currently offering enough in the final third.
Chemsdine Talbi’s last 10 Premier League appearances | ||
|---|---|---|
Opposition | Minutes | Goals + assists |
Ipswich | 31 | 0 + 0 |
Everton | 30 | 0 + 0 |
Man United | 79 | 0 + 0 |
Wolves | 90 | 0 + 0 |
Aston Villa | 27 | 0 + 0 |
Spurs | 8 | 0 + 0 |
Newcastle | 89 | 1 + 0 |
Brighton | 85 | 0 + 0 |
Bournemouth | 89 | 0 + 0 |
Liverpool | 10 | 0 + 0 |
Fillipi has only played 11 matches for Palmeiras at first-team level, which means that he is yet to prove himself in a senior setting, but his form for their academy suggests that he is a top talent.
Sunderland, whose only moment of quality against Ipswich came through Angulo’s goal, need a wide player who can provide a constant threat as a goalscorer.
Fillipi’s return of 30 goals in 80 matches for Palmeiras’ U20s, whilst playing on the left or the right flank, suggests that he has the potential to offer a consistent goalscoring threat from a wide position.
The teenage winger, who was described as an “entertaining” player by U23 scout Antonio Mango, racked up 20 goals and three assists in 36 matches in the 2025 campaign, for example, which speaks to the kind of quality that he could provide.
If Le Bris can get that kind of production out of the Brazil U20 international in the Premier League, he could solve the club’s issues at the top end of the pitch, and end Talbi’s career.
The Morocco international could end up finding himself fourth or fifth choice in the wide areas, behind the likes of Hume, Angulo, and Filippi, if he does not up his own game, which could result in him looking elsewhere for game time by January, potentially.
