Confirmed: Sunderland AFC player in talks to leave the Stadium of Light | OneFootball

The Black Cats' boss has updates on several players.

Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris has confirmed that Jewison Bennette is close to departing the club in the near future.

The 20-year-old has fallen out of favour at the Stadium of Light and Le Bris has now confirmed that reports of a potential move to Ukrainian outfit FC LNZ Cherkasy are true.

Bennette was close to a deadline-day move to League One with Charlton Athletic, but the deal ultimately was not completed in time. Now though, it appears he is free to pursue other opportunities away from the North East.

Le Bris also provided injury updates on Jenson Seelt and Ahmed Abdullahi, with the Dutchman potentially fit to return in Friday night's clash with Sheffield Wednesday.

Bennette is free to leave Sunderland

Given how little Bennette has been involved at Sunderland of late, it really is no surprise to see the Costa Rican on the verge of a move away from the club.

He has made just one appearance this season, with his only outing coming as a late substitute in the EFL Cup win over Preston North End back in August.

He also spent time on loan at Greek side Aris Thessaloniki in 2023/24, having made two appearances for the Black Cats at the start of the season.

Bennette’s career hasn’t really progressed at the level Sunderland would have hoped when they handed him a four-year deal back in 2022, but with Le Bris’ men now chasing a return to the Premier League for the first time since 2017, it comes as no surprise that he is nearing an exit.

Le Bris gave his thoughts on the winger’s future to the Sunderland Echo. He said: “Yes, (he is in talks to leave), but I don’t know exactly what stage the deal is at. He needs to play.”

Le Bris also gave an injury update on Jenson Seelt and Ahmed Abdullahi

Le Bris was also able to provide positive news on the fitness of defender Jenson Seelt. The Dutchman could return to the squad for Friday night’s clash, having not played a minute of first-team football since 9th March 2024.

With Seelt having spent such a long period of time on the sidelines, Le Bris was keen to stress that he will still need time to get back to match sharpness. The Frenchman said: “Jenson is much closer than before, for sure. He still needs game time because, after so long out, he needs time to recover his level.

“His body changed during his time out, he's more mature and powerful now. He just needs game time. His performances in training are really good."

However, while there was positive news on Seelt, the same cannot be said for Ahmed Abdullahi. The Nigerian youngster joined from Belgian side KAA Gent on deadline day but is yet to make his debut for the Black Cats, having picked up a groin injury that required surgery.

And, while Le Bris confirmed that the forward’s issue is not a serious one, he is also not in a position to come into the fold in the near future. He said: "With Ahmed, he is still struggling with his previous injury so it is not yet fully solved. It is not a bad issue at this stage, but he is not available.”