New Luke O’Nien update emerges at Sunderland as West Brom & Coventry City linger | OneFootball

Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris has confirmed that he will hold talks with Luke O'Nien about a potential loan move in January.

Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris has admitted that Luke O’Nien could leave the club before the end of the January window amid interest from West Brom and Coventry.

The 31-year-old is a hugely popular figure at the Stadium of Light, having been part of their remarkable rise since he joined when the Black Cats were in League One in 2018.

O’Nien was a hugely important figure last season as Sunderland won promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs, although he was forced off early in the final after suffering a shoulder injury.

Regis Le Bris confirms Luke O’Nien dilemma as transfer interest builds

That injury, combined with Sunderland’s remarkable recruitment this summer, means that O’Nien has found game time hard to come by, and he was sent off in his second substitute appearance this season away at Man City.

Therefore, it has been reported that O’Nien could depart this month, with Albion and Coventry thought to be considering the versatile former Wycombe man to strengthen their respective squads.

When that was put to Le Bris, the Black Cats chief explained to the Northern Echo that he would hold talks with the player, but he made it clear that O’Nien is still a very valuable presence in the dressing room, even if he hasn’t had the game time he wanted.

“We have to think about everything with him. It is not only about game time, it is about the work that goes on behind the scenes and everything else that is important there.

“It is a tough balance. Sometimes, a player can have an ambition on one side of wanting to play, but then on the other side we might know how important they can be in the dressing room. That will be part of the discussion, definitely.”

Luke O’Nien would be an asset to any Championship club

This is a difficult decision for Sunderland and O’Nien, as he has been hugely influential over the years, but the reality is that there is plenty of quality ahead of him in the pecking order right now, so he is unlikely to feature.

Yet, it’s easy to see why there is Championship interest, as O’Nien has shown that he can be a very good player at this level.

His leadership skills are well-known, which is why Sunderland may be reluctant to let him go, and whoever did sign O’Nien would be getting a player who will bring a winning mentality and an infectious personality.

But, it’s perhaps overlooked that he was a very good player for the Wearside outfit last season as well. He was there week in, week out, and put in some huge performances to help the team to win promotion.