Sunderland Eye Experienced €5m-Rated Ligue 1 Midfielder: Is He The Answer For Le Bris? | OneFootball

French outlet Media Foot reported this week that Sunderland have emerged as a contender to sign Marseille’s Geoffrey Kondogbia, with the defensive midfielder’s situation at the Ligue 1 side encouraging the Black Cats to approach this summer. The 33-year-old Central African Republic international joined Marseille from Atlético Madrid for around €8m in June 2023, but three seasons on, the move has not worked as either party would have hoped.

Sunderland’s target struggles for minutes at Marseille

Kondogbia played 1,016 minutes across 17 matches this season, of which only 593 came in the league. That is a thin return for a player of his experience, and his mixed performances across those appearances have placed him firmly among the Marseille players expected to leave. At 33, he no longer represents the future of the club, and his salary, reported at over €5m per year, is an added pressure on Marseille’s wage bill.

Consequently, the French club’s desire to sell him is clear, with the player himself widely expected to head for the exit door this summer. His current transfer value sits between €3.8m and €5.6m, meaning Sunderland could realistically acquire him without breaking the bank. Furthermore, Le Bris has previously brought in former Ligue 1 players with considerable success, which gives this particular link a credible, familiar pattern.

Sunderland’s midfield needs heading into 2026/27

HAMBURG, GERMANY – FEBRUARY 15: Geoffrey Kondogbia of Marseille gestures during the UEFA Europa League 2023/24 Knockout Round Play-offs First Leg match between FC Shakhtar Donetsk and Olympique de Marseille at Volksparkstadion on February 15, 2024 in Hamburg, Germany. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)

Le Bris has stressed that stability is the club’s priority this summer, building on what he described as a strong platform from the current season. The attack remains his primary focus for reinforcement, with more firepower identified as the next step for progression.

We feel Kondogbia is not the answer for Sunderland in 2026/27. At 33, earning higher than €5m annually, and coming off a season where he struggled to cement a regular starting role in Ligue 1, the numbers simply do not add up for a Sunderland side that have spent this season operating with admirable financial discipline.

Le Bris builds with youth and momentum, those are his twin obsessions, and a high-wage veteran who drifted at Marseille fits neither brief. Sunderland currently sit in the top half of the Premier League and are eyeing a push towards European competition next season, so the squad depth they chase must genuinely add quality, not just experience.

Kondogbia’s profile feels like a short-term patch rather than a purposeful building block. Unless Marseille agree to a heavily subsidised wage deal and the fee stays minimal, this transfer looks unlikely to happen, and perhaps it should not. Sunderland deserve better ambition than that in this window.