Sunderland AFC: Timothee Pembele outlines trust issue that led to SoL departure | OneFootball

Timothée Pembélé has been loaned out to French side Le Havre for the rest of the season

Timothée Pembélé has opened up on his decision to leave Sunderland on transfer deadline day, outlining a lack of trust from Regis Le Bris and former Black Cats coaches.

The Frenchman made the switch to Le Havre on loan for the rest of the campaign, having joined the Black Cats last year.

The 22-year-old did not feature in any of the Wearside outfit’s opening league games, making just eight appearances in the Championship last year (all stats from Fbref).

He signed from Paris Saint-Germain, having come through the ranks of their academy system, making 11 league appearances for the European giants prior to his move to England.

He also spent a campaign on loan with Bordeaux, where he featured 26 times in the French top flight, but he was unable to earn significant playing time during his debut season at the Stadium of Light.

Pembele opens up on Sunderland exit

Pembélé has admitted that he had a difficult first year with Sunderland, and that he felt he was never trusted to play regularly.

He believes that this lack of trust remained even with the appointment of Régis le Bris over the summer, so he jumped at the chance to move back to Ligue 1 instead.

“Humanly and sportingly, I am coming out of a difficult season,” said Pembélé, via Paris-Normandie.

“I arrived very late, and I never managed to catch up.

“The coach never trusted me.

“And the arrival this summer of Régis Le Bris has not changed anything in my situation.

“So, I preferred to go on loan.

“I’ve only been here a little over a week and I’m feeling fulfilled again.

“Quite simply, I’m happy.

“I’m coming to a club that I know a little bit about, because with PSG I’ve often come to play at La Cavée.

“And here, the coach really trusts the youngsters.

“In my opinion, La Havre is the ideal place to perform.

“In fact, as soon as my manager [agent] told me about Le Havre, I accepted straight away.

“I wanted to get back to Ligue 1.”

Sunderland’s 2024 summer business

Sunderland had a busy summer transfer period, with a number of incomings and outgoings impacting the first team squad.

Pembélé’s departure was confirmed on deadline day, with the club using the entire summer to make changes to the side.

He is one of five players out on loan from Sunderland this year, including the likes of Pierre Ekwah, Nathan Bishop, Jay Matete and Nectarios Triantis.

The Black Cats also made major signings of their own, bringing in Milan Aleksic, Ahmed Adbullahi, Alan Browne and Ian Poveda, among others.

Pembele exit can work out for all parties

If Pembélé wasn’t in Le Bris’ immediate first team plans then a loan exit makes the most sense for everyone.

He is still only 22 and possesses a lot of potential, having built up a lot of senior top flight experience already in his career.

While the defender was unable to make much of an impact at Sunderland so far, he can still prove himself a useful asset in the future.

If he can perform well while on loan at Le Havre, then the Championship side can re-evaluate his position in the squad next summer.