Sunderland ‘Showing Particular Interest’ In Ex-West Brom Man Who Is ‘Serious Option’ | OneFootball

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Sunderland are ‘showing particular interest’ in a former West Brom defender as they look to strengthen for life in the Premier League.

Regis Le Bris has new problems to tackle after leading Sunderland to promotion, with the Black Cats desperate to not just drop straight back down to the Championship.

Sunderland will want to bolster their backline, with 44 goals conceded in the Championship as opposed to 30 for Leeds United and 16 for Burnley, who will join them in the Premier League.

Now, according to Africafoot, the Black Cats are looking at former West Brom defender Cedric Kipre as an option.

They are suggested to be ‘showing particular interest’ in the player and consider him to be ‘a serious option’.

Kipre is currently on the books at French club Reims, who have just been relegated from Ligue 1.

That is expected to see a number of key players leave Reims over the course of the summer transfer window and Kipre could be amongst them.

It is suggested that the fact that Kipre has played in England before could work to Sunderland’s advantage when it comes to signing him.

However, the defender has never played in the Premier League, with his stints in English football coming in the Championship.

He made a total of 67 appearances when at West Brom, where he shone and even won the Players’ and Supporters’ Player of the Year in 2023/24, while he also had spells at Wigan Athletic, Cardiff City and Leicester City.

Kipre, 28, made a total of 28 appearances in Reims’ doomed Ligue 1 campaign and was even sent off twice in the process.

The club have the centre-back under contract for another two years and cashing in on him following relegation is likely to be an attractive prospect.

Le Bris, given his French connections, is likely to know all about Kipre and Sunderland look to feel he could handle the step up to the Premier League.