Why Le Fee is swapping Roma for Sunderland after just six months | OneFootball

Multiple sources confirmed on Wednesday that Roma have agreed to send Enzo Le Fee to Sunderland on loan, in a potentially profitable deal that also comes as a surprise.

While the Championship outfit will have to pay €23m to make the move permanent next summer, this was also the figure the Giallorossi paid just six months ago to sign the midfielder from Rennes, making him their second most lucrative signing in history after Tammy Abraham.

Who is Le Fee and what went wrong at Roma

Looking at the investment made last summer to bring the Frenchman to the Stadio Olimpico, it was fair to expect Le Fee to have a relevant role at Roma this season.

A talented midfielder who shone in Ligue 1 with Lorient and Rennes, he was acquired to add quality to the Giallorossi’s build-up.

At least, this was the intention of Daniele De Rossi, the first of the team’s three managers in the ongoing campaign – the Italian started the 24-year-old on the Serie A debut day against Cagliari, before using him as a substitute in the following game.

AS Roma’s Enzo Le Fee (R) vies for the ball with FC Torino’s Samuele Ricci during the Italian Serie A soccer match between AS Roma and FC Torino at the Olimpico stadium in Rome, Italy, 31 October 2024. EPA-EFE/ETTORE FERRARI

However, the playmaker then picked up a knee injury that kept him sidelined for weeks, only to find a different coach at the helm on his return.

With Ivan Juric, Le Fee was given four starts across Serie A and Europa League, but when he seemed close to earning his boss’ trust, another shake-up took place as Claudio Ranieri was appointed as a new caretaker manager.

The player was handed a single start since the arrival of Ranieri, who clearly showed his preference towards different midfield options, namely Manu Koné and Leandro Paredes.

In the end, the chaotic course of events at the Stadio Olimpico has certainly taken a toll on the French midfielder’s adjustment, but his under-par displays when he was called upon persuaded Roma to look for bidders in an attempt to cut their losses after last summer’s expensive deal.