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Some of the best right-backs in today’s game are arguably even better going forward than they are at the back.

Paris Saint-Germain’s Achraf Hakimi and Real Madrid’s Trent Alexander-Arnold are viewed as the greatest right-backs currently, however, in generations gone by, we have seen some unbelievable full-backs on the right-hand side.

The Best 15 Right-Backs in World Football Ranked (2025)

Where does new Real Madrid star Alexander-Arnold rank?

1 ByCharlie Smith Oct 8, 2025

Here is a look at 20 of the greatest right-backs in footballing history, factoring in their longevity and consistency at the highest level, while also looking at their team and personal accolades.

20 Maicon

Starting off the countdown is Maicon, one of numerous Brazilian right-backs to be included. Best known for his time at Inter Milan, Maicon looked like a centre-back but had all the power, athleticism and final third product to make him a world-class full-back.

He won the Champions League at Inter Milan as well as lifting four Serie A titles and three Italian Cups, starring under Jose Mourinho.

19 Eric Gerets​

Eric Gerets​ actually began his amateur career as a striker before turning professional with Standard Liege and would end his playing days as one of the best right-backs, recognised by being nominated for the Ballon d’Or on numerous occasions.

Regarded as one of the greatest players in Belgian football history, Gerets ended his career as part of a dominant PSV side, winning six Eredivisie titles in seven years during the 1980s and 1990s, as well as lifting the European Cup.

18 Claudio Gentile

A key part of Italy’s 1982 winning World Cup team, Claudio Gentile’s style of play was no-nonsense, something which saw him have a brilliant 17-year career.

Gentile was anything but gentle in the tackle and has gone down as a Juventus legend, being inducted into the club’s Hall of Fame in 2025.

He was included in the Team of the Tournament in the 1980 Euros and 1982 World Cup, highlighting the impact he made.

17 Kyle Walker

In his prime, there was no getting past Kyle Walker, who is arguably one of the quickest right-backs of all time.

As well as his blistering pace, Walker was solid defensively and got forward regularly, winning six Premier League titles and the Champions League at Man City. A key part of Pep Guardiola’s dominant side, Walker also has just under 100 England caps.

16 ​​​​​Dani Carvajal

Real Madrid icon Dani Carvajal may not be the most eye-catching right-back in history, however, his longevity and consistency earn him a place in the top 20.

Lifting an incredible six Champions League titles at the Bernabeu and the Euros with Spain, the Madrid captain is one of the most successful right-backs in history and will rightly go down as a Los Blancos legend.

15 Manfred Kaltz

German right-back and Hamburger SV legend Manfred Kaltz spent over 18 years across the 1970s and 1980s, winning two Bundesliga crowns, two DFB-Pokal titles and the European Cup during his club career.

He lifted the Euros in 1980 with Germany and was known for making an impact in the final third, scoring more than 100 goals in his career.

14 Manuel Amoros

Manuel Amoros won multiple league titles with Monaco and Marseille during his club career, while on the international stage with France, lifted the Euros in 1984.

His career lasted 17 years and his performances rarely dipped, resulting in his winning 82 caps for his country and making 500 club appearances.

13 Wim Suurbier

Dutch star Wim Suurbier helped Ajax dominate European football under Rinus Michels and Stefan Kovacs under the club’s famous Total Football philosophy.

A key member of the side that won three successive European Cups in the 1970s, Suurbier also helped the Netherlands to two World Cup finals and was known for his explosive pace and technical ability.

12 Gary Neville

Although he won’t admit it, Gary Neville was a key part of Man Utd’s dominance under Sir Alex Ferguson and spent his entire career at Old Trafford.

An excellent crosser, Neville was brilliant defensively, winning eight Premier League titles, two Champions Leagues, four FA Cups and three League Cups. He made a whopping 600 appearances for United and was capped 85 times by England.

11 Mauro Tassotti

AC Milan legend Mauro Tassotti spent 17 years at the San Siro, winning 19 honours and making just under 600 appearances for the Italian giants.

A member of one of the world’s greatest defences alongside Franco Baresi and Filippo Galli, Tassotti helped transform the right-back role in the 1980s and 1990s, with his attacking qualities being an inspiration for others.

Celtic have endured a fairly disappointing start to the 2025/26 campaign across all competitions so far, in the Scottish Premiership and in Europe.

The Hoops sit second in the league table, behind Hearts, with five wins and two draws, whilst they are still looking for their first win on the European stage.

Brendan Rodgers has overseen one point from two Europa League matches after his team were beaten by Kairat in their Champions League play-off clash.

There have been several players in the squad who have not performed to the best of their ability this season, including central midfielder Reo Hatate.

Why Reo Hatate's form is a concern

The Japan international has gone eight matches without a goal or an assist to show for his contributions on the pitch, which is concerning for a player who typically provides creativity and quality on the ball in midfield.

Hatate delivered ten goals and created 14 ‘big chances’ for his teammates in 37 appearances in the Premiership last season, per Sofascore, but he has failed to provide the same kind of quality at the top end of the pitch in the current campaign.

Appearances

37

5

Goals

10

1

Minutes per goal

241

373

Key passes per game

1.2

0.6

Big chances created

14

0

Assists

4

0

As you can see in the table above, the Japanese star’s output as both a scorer and as a creator of goals has decreased for the Hoops in the Premiership.

This is concerning because it shows that Hatate is not as influential or effective as he once was for the Scottish giants, but it has also provided other players with a chance to step up and shine.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

One star who has stepped up and is now looking like a Reo Hatate-type player is summer signing Benjamin Nygren in the middle of the park for Celtic.

Why Benjamin Nygren looks like Celtic's new Reo Hatate

The left-footed star was signed from Nordsjaelland for £1.3m in the summer and may have been expected by some to play on the right wing, as that was where he played the majority of his football last season and Nicolas Kuhn left to sign for Como.

Despite that, Rodgers has played Nygren as part of his midfield three more often than not, essentially taking Arne Engels’ spot in the starting line-up from the 2024/25 campaign.

The Sweden international, who was described as “fearless” by Alexander Isak, has started five of the club’s seven matches in the Premiership, which shows that the manager already trusts him to start consistently.

Nygren has also shown that he can be a difference-maker at the top end of the pitch from a midfield position with four goals in five league starts, whilst no other Celtic player has scored more than two league goals for the club.

As well as being an impressive goalscorer, the summer signing ranks second in the squad for ‘big chances’ created (two) and first for key passes per game (2.6) in the Premiership.

These statistics show that Nygren has hit the ground running at Parkhead as both a scorer and a creator of goals from a central midfield position, taking on the role that Hatate played last season with his ten goals and 14 ‘big chances’ created.

The Japan international has not been at his best in the current campaign, as evidenced by his aforementioned form, but the Swedish star has stepped up to carry the team on his back at times.

Cost £0, now worth more than Tounekti: Celtic hit gold on "phenomenal" star

Sebastian Tounekti has made an impressive start to life at Celtic, but a “prolific” attacker who arrived for free has a higher estimated market value.

ByBen Gray Oct 10, 2025

There is still plenty of football left to be played this season, but the left-footed star’s form for Celtic suggests that he can be the new midfield star in the final third moving forward.

Alexia Putellas is back to her best for Barcelona Femini after getting rid of her injury woes in the past few years. In the final few days of the transfer window, reports from Spain mentioned that Paris Saint-Germain were ready to make a record-breaking offer for the two-time Ballon d'Or winner. The Spaniard, however, stayed put and has now shed light on PSG's interest as well as her future at Barca.

• Putellas back to her best

  After spending the majority of the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons on the sidelines after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, Putellas was back to her sizzling best in the 2024-25 season. An incredible individual campaign saw her notch 27 goals and 21 assists for club and country, even though she tasted heartbreak in the Champions League final with Barca and Euro final with Spain. Having won back-to-back Ballons d'Or Feminin in 2021 and 2022, she finished fourth in this year's ranking, with her midfield partner Aitana Bonmati bagging the award for the third-time in a row. 

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• AFP
  

  PSG made record-breaking approach for Putellas over the summer

  With Putellas' contract expiring in June 2026, PSG Feminines made a late approach for Putellas in September, just days before the deadline for women's transfer window in Europe. Per reports, they were ready to trigger the €1.1 million release clause in Putellas' contract. It would have been only the sixth instance of a transfer in football exceeding the million-euro figure. However, the 31-year-old, after conversations with both PSG and Barca's hierarchy, made it clear that her future lied in Catalunya.

• Spain and Barcelona star sheds light on PSG's interest

  Speaking in an interview with , Putellas said: "What happened with that offer is that it was publicised in the media, but it wasn't the first one. The process was short and easy. When it arrived, as with the other offers, I spoke to the club: ‘What's going on? What do you want? Are you counting on me or not?’ And that was the end of the discussion: the present is the shirt I wear."

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Will Putellas stay at Barca beyond 2026?

  Although her contract expires at the end of this season, there's an option to renew for another year. However, Putellas neither confirmed nor declined whether her long-term future lies at Barca. 

  "My relationship with the club has always been one of trust and naturalness," she said. "Everyone knows what it means to me to play here: it's not a typical 'work for pay' relationship. It goes much further than that. I've spent almost half my life at Barca, I've played 95% of my career here. This will continue as long as, on the one hand, I continue to feel that motivation, energy and daily demand to perform at my best and meet my goals, and, on the other hand, the club feels the same way."

Sunderland’s memorable summer of spending could be set to continue, with the Black Cats targeting a move for a Premier League player.

Chris Rigg signs new Sunderland deal

It has been a summer to remember at the Stadium of Light, with so many new faces arriving at the club to bolster the Black Cats’ chances of avoiding relegation back to the Championship.

However, having already lost Jobe Bellingham to Borussia Dortmund, it was equally important that Sunderland kept hold of youngster Chris Rigg, and they have done just that, tying him down to a new long-term deal, much to his happiness.

“It feels great to sign this new contract. There was only ever one ambition I had, and that was to agree a long-term deal here. It’s been an incredible journey since I made my debut at 15, and I love playing here and being here every day, so I’m absolutely buzzing.

“The past couple of years have flown by – it only feels like yesterday that I made my Championship debut, and a couple of weeks ago I made my Premier League debut. It feels unreal, and I couldn’t have asked for more. I’m so thankful to everyone who has helped me, and I’m so proud to be part of this team and this Club.”

It’s now a case of potentially striking some late summer business for Sunderland, with an encouraging new update emerging in that respect.

Sunderland make offer for "stylish" defender

According to journalist Santi Aouna on X, Sunderland have submitted an offer for West Ham centre-back Nayef Aguerd, amid strong interest from Marseille.

“L’OM has accelerated in recent hours on Nayef Aguerd. Discussions ongoing with West Ham. His possible arrival at L’OM is independent of that of Joel Ordonez. In parallel, Sunderland is pushing and has officially submitted an offer to West Ham for the Moroccan.”

The £50,000-a-week Aguerd could be a shrewd signing for Sunderland, with the 29-year-old such an experienced player – one who helped Morocco reach the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup against all odds.

Granted, the West Ham man has played both Premier League games this season, with the Hammers conceding eight goals, but he may like the idea of getting out of the mess at the London Stadium and joining a more positive Sunderland side.

The 55-cap Moroccan would add depth and nous to Regis Le Bris’ back-line, having been praised by David Moyes when he brought him to West Ham initially.

“We really wanted to buy him two years ago. He’s a really good player, really good on the ball, stylish. He’s got some really good attributes and I think he will big a plus to us.”

Perfect for Mukiele: £24m Sunderland target now "open" to joining

Sunderland could sign a new central defender before the window slams shut next week.

ByWill Miller Aug 29, 2025

Aguerd wouldn’t necessarily be a guaranteed starter for Sunderland, but given his experience, he would be such a strong addition in Sunderland’s quest to stay in the Premier League, potentially breaking into the team on a regular basis.

Harry Kane scripted more Bundesliga history as he scored in Bayern Munich's 3-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga on Saturday. Former Liverpool star Luis Diaz also had a fabulous outing as he contribute with a brace including his first goal which came in the 15th second of the game. Kane is now the first player in history to score 11 goals in his six league appearances in a season.

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It took Bayern Munich less than 15 seconds to break the deadlock as Luis Diaz scored the opener in the first minute of the match. The move started with Kane sending the ball to Neuer from kick-off, which the veteran goalkeeper received and came out of the penalty box before launching a long kick. Kane again flicked the ball inside the penalty box, which was poorly cleared by Robin Koch as the ball went back to Serge Gnabry. The German winger entered the box from the right and found Diaz with a square pass and the Colombian comfortably pushed the ball into the net.

The visitors momentarily thought that they were back in the game as Jean-Matteo Bahoya scored the equaliser in the 14th minute. Ritsu Doan was the key architect of the move as he cut to his left foot and found Hugo Larsson on the edge of the box. Larsson failed to connect with the ball properly and missed his chance to shoot but got enough touch to push the ball towards Bahoya to find the back of the net. However, following a VAR check, the referee cancelled the equaliser as Doan had accidentally handled the ball, while he cut on to his left foot.

Just minutes before the half-hour mark, Kane doubled his team's lead. Joshua Kimmich initiated the move with an inch-perfect pass to Luis Diaz near the penalty box. The Colombian then squared the ball for Kane on the edge and the England captain scored with a powerful shot. Kane could have doubled his tally just 10 minutes after the break as he found himself in a shooting position in the six-yard box, but his shot hit the woodwork and went out. 

Towards the end of the game, Diaz piled on Frankfurt's misery as he completed his brace. The Colombian followed a pass inside the box and beat Koch with some silky skills before finding the back of the net.

Kane had to be subbed off a minute after the third goal as he injured his ankle following a challenge from Kaua Santos. He returned to the pitch for a few seconds before Vincent Kompany replaced him with Nicolas Jackson.

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Kane was once again the most prolific Bayern player on the pitch tonight. After initiating the move from which Diaz eventually scored the opening goal, he himself got his name on the scoresheet to double his team's lead with a brilliant strike. 

Getty Images SportTHE BIG LOSER

Frankfurt centre-back Koch had a night to forget as he was at fault for two of the three goals Bayern scored tonight. Koch's lazy clearance allowed Gnabry to enter the box before he fed Diaz with a perfect ball for his opening. Then, towards the end of the game, Diaz made a mockery of the defender by going past him inside the box and scored the third goal.

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gettyWHAT COMES NEXT?

Kompany's men will be back in action after the international break and take on rivals Borussia Dortmund in a key Bundesliga clash on October 18.

Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaif has jetted into the French capital from America for the 2025 Ballon d’Or ceremony after originally planning to stay Stateside. His club's star forward Ousmane Dembele is the favourite to be crowned the best player in the world on Monday night in Paris but faces competition from Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal.

Al-Khelaifi changes Ballon d'Or plans

The PSG chief had not originally been expected to attend the Ballon d'Or but has changed his plans, according to reporter Ben Jacobs. Al-Khelaif has decided to fly back to Paris to represent the club at the ceremony. The move may well be taken as a sign that Dembele will indeed be crowned the best male player in the world on Monday night.

AdvertisementAFPPSG backing Dembele for victory

Al-Khelaifi has previously called for journalists to cast their vote honestly for the Ballon d'Or and acknowledged that Dembele is the favourite for victory. He said: "For sure, he is. Dembele is an amazing player, an amazing striker, and he works really hard for the team. And an amazing person also. I think all of you guys know that, so I hope everybody gives [their] honest opinion."

Doue and Neves to join Dembele at ceremony

Dembele will be present at the ceremony as he is currently sidelined with injury for PSG. He is expected to be joined by team-mates Desire Doue and Joao Neves who have also been ruled out of action with injury, per RMC Sport.

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(C)GOALPSG face Marseille on same night as Ballon d'Or

Al-Khelaifi's decision was also made after PSG's Ligue 1 clash with Marseille was rearranged for the same time as the Ballon d'Or ceremony. The game was due to be played on Sunday but was rescheduled due to poor weather, meaning PSG may be light on representatives at the Ballon d'Or ceremony as they will be needed for the team's Classique clash.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Santos não conseguiu superar o Audax Italiano e ficou no empate, por 0 a 0, no jogo válido pela Sul-Americana. Na esperança de marcar o gol da vitória, o Alvinegro Praiano alçou algumas bolas na área, mas poucas ações encontraram algum jogador do Peixe no meio.

Claro que o cruzamento pode ser uma arma mortal na construção de jogadas da equipe. Contudo, usar e abusar dessa técnica em um ataque com Soteldo (1,58m), Ângelo (1,73m) e Marcos Leonardo (1,74m) não parece ser a escolha mais adequada.

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+ATUAÇÕES: Santos vacila em casa, não fura defesa do Audax Italiano e tropeça na Sul-Americana

No empate, o Santos cruzou a bola na área 32 vezes, de acordo com dados da Footstats. Dessas tentativas, apenas em cinco ocasiões a tentativa encontrou algum jogador santista.

É comum a quantidade de tentativas frustradas ser maior que as feitas com êxito. Mesmo assim, a margem foi bem mais alta que dos últimos jogos da temporada do Santos.

Com um melhor aproveitamento neste tipo de jogada, Lucas Barbosa, que tem 1,93m de altura, ficará fora dos jogos do Alvinegro Praiano por conta de uma lesão ligamentar moderada do tornozelo esquerdo.

Ainda assim, vale lembrar que o Santos possui uma boa média de altura geral no elenco e oferece mais perigo quando os zagueiros sobem para a área. Foi dessa maneira que o clube abriu o placar diante do Blooming, da Bolívia.

De todo modo, como nem na ação defensiva aérea o Santos possui um bom aproveitamento, apostar numa artilharia baixa para esse tipo de jogada é ‘pedir’ para que dê errado.

Whilst they have since secured several reinforcements, Leeds United reportedly made an approach to sign an attacking addition who has scored in the Europa League earlier this summer.

Farke: Leeds not "ready for Premier League level"

Like Sunderland, Leeds have returned to the Premier League with plenty of intent. The Whites instantly turned towards the transfer window this summer, welcoming the likes of Sean Longstaff, Jaka Bijol, Lucas Perri and four others in an attempt to build a side ready to avoid instant relegation.

That task will be easier said than done, however, and Daniel Farke has already admitted that his frontline is still short on Premier League quality following a friendly draw against Villarreal.

When it comes to attacking additions, it’s been a frustrating summer for those at Elland Road thus far. The likes of Beto and Rodrigo Muniz have threatened to steal the headlines, but deals for the two impressive forwards are unlikely at this stage. Meanwhile, Leeds and the 49ers also made an early approach to sign a former Premier League winger.

Leeds approached Moussa Djenepo

As reported by Africa Foot, Leeds approached Moussa Djenepo earlier this summer as they looked to swoop in and sign the Standard Liege winger, who earns around £18,000-a-week.

Ultimately, however, that approach proved unsuccessful and the former Southampton man remained a Standard Liege player. Whether that changes as the Whites become more desperate to bolster their attack will be interesting to see, but it’s then that they’ll potentially have to compete against clubs in Saudi Arabia and Iran for Djenepo’s signature.

Djenepo would certainly tick the box for Premier League experience, having previously enjoyed a four-year spell at Southampton and has even impressed on the Europa League stage with Standard Liege in the past – scoring three goals in five games.

Leeds now offered chance to sign "sensation" who has scored 38 PL goals

The Whites could finally add to their striking department.

BySean Markus Clifford Aug 5, 2025

As things stand, however, the 27-year-old is seemingly set to go down as a missed target at Elland Road, as Farke and the 49ers aim to transform Leeds’ attack into one of Premier League quality.

Essex director of cricket leaves Chelmsford after nine years of success across formats

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Oct-2024

Anthony McGrath oversaw Essex’s double-winning season in 2019•Getty Images

Yorkshire have announced the acquisition of Anthony McGrath as their new men’s head coach to replace the outgoing Ottis Gibson.McGrath, who joins on a five-year deal, returns to his home county having developed through the age-groups at Headingley as an allrounder, going on to earn 28 England caps, including four Test appearances. The 49-year-old began his coaching career at Yorkshire following his retirement in 2013 before moving to Essex, where he was appointed director of cricket as recently as July.The move south proved particularly fruitful for McGrath. He joined Essex initially as assistant coach to Chris Silverwood, and helped oversee promotion in 2016 followed by a County Championship title the following year.He was promoted to head coach when Silverwood left to take the England job and led Essex to a Championship and T20 Blast double in 2019, followed by the Bob Willis Trophy in 2020. A second-place Division One finish came in the 2023 season, in which they were also beaten finalists in the Blast.This season, McGrath juggled coaching duties at Chelmsford with a director of cricket role as part of a management restructure triggered by the resignation of chief executive John Stephenson in July.He inherits a Yorkshire team that has returned to Division One following relegation in 2022. The club were then docked 48 points in the 2023 season over their handling of the racism scandal that centred around allegations made by former player Azeem Rafiq. McGrath’s remit will be the performance and management of the men’s first team, and starts officially from November 1.”It is a great honour to be appointed Head Coach of Yorkshire Cricket’s Men’s team, and I am hugely excited by the challenge ahead,” McGrath said.”I know the history of this great club and the passion of the members and supporters, and I am absolutely determined to develop a team capable of delivering the success they deserve.”It was an extremely tough decision to leave Essex, and it’s one that I have taken a great deal of time to think about. I’ve been part of this club for almost nine years, and we’ve achieved so much together and created so many unforgettable memories in that time.”While I obviously spent all of my playing career at Yorkshire, Essex has become a second home to me, and I’d like to thank everyone for the warmth of their support over the last nine seasons.”Tom Westley, Essex’s captain, hailed McGrath as “one of the most influential figures I have come across during my career”, and wished him well in his new role.”Everybody within the club knows of his qualities as a coach and leader, but it’s the person that he is that we will all miss the most. It’s no coincidence that the success we have achieved over the last decade has coincided with [McGrath’s] time here. Although he would never accept it, he has been a huge factor in the trophies we have won in recent years.”Sanjay Patel, Yorkshire’s interim CEO, said: “We’re delighted to appoint Anthony as Head Coach.”During the past nine years with Essex, Anthony has proved himself to be one of the most exciting and successful coaches in English cricket. He is renowned for his team’s attractive, attacking cricket, supporting and developing world-class talent, and commitment to youth.”In the club’s conversations leading up to this appointment, we were deeply impressed with his long-term vision for returning Yorkshire Cricket to the level we want to be competing at, and his drive and determination to achieve that.”We look forward to welcoming him to the club this Autumn.”

Sunderland don’t want to just make up the numbers next season in the Premier League.

Indeed, the Black Cats’ early summer business indicates that they are going to splash the cash to try and stave off an immediate Championship return, with a club-record £30m spent on acquiring Habib Diarra from Strasbourg.

That’s before you even consider the long-winding list of names being linked to the Stadium of Light, with ex-Arsenal midfielder Matteo Guendouzi one standout face on their reported shopping list, alongside names such as Hamed Traore also being tipped to relocate to Wearside for a high £18m.

Of course, Sunderland are no strangers to such a statement deal when trying to achieve something remarkable like survival in the Premier League, with Enzo Le Fee the talk of the town when he moved to England earlier this year.

Le Fee's early impact at Sunderland

When Le Fee initially linked up with the Black Cats in January on loan, his much-talked-about arrival was secured to try and push Le Bris’ side back up to the promised land.

It ended up being a mission success, thankfully, with Le Fee’s stylish presence helping Sunderland in some nervy promotion-deciding moments, as seen in him registering two vital assists in the playoff semi-final first and second legs versus Coventry City.

Le Fee’s career numbers before joining Sunderland
Club played for	Games played	Goals scored	Assists
Lorient	142	8	15
Rennes	35	0	5
AS Roma	10	0	0
Sourced by Transfermarkt

Also chipping in with a goal during Sunderland’s intense promotion run-in, Black Cats supporters far and wide must have been scratching their eyes watching such an immense talent strut his stuff in the Championship, considering he was lining up for Italian giants AS Roma just before his switch to Wearside.

On top of that, he also collected a hefty total of 28 goals and assists on the books of both Rennes and Lorient, with Le Bris clearly flexing his ex-Lorient connections to surprisingly pick up Le Fee, who is now a permanent member of his Premier League camp after joining for good for £20m.

Another bold move similar to the Frenchman’s shock switch could soon be signed off on if rumours are correct, with this potential deal perhaps going down as an even bigger signing than the 25-year-old’s entry if the enigmatic star in question can instantly settle.

The "phenomenon" who could be a bigger signing than Le Fee

Le Bris loves hopping into the Ligue 1 market when attempting to unearth potential Sunderland gems, with Diarra the next notable face from the French top division being given a chance to shine in Wearside.

Lyon superstar Georges Mikautadze could be the next to fall off the ambitious Ligue 1 conveyor belt, with French outlet Foot Mercato revealing that Sunderland are one of a number of clubs across Europe keeping a close eye on the entertaining Georgian amidst Lyon’s financial woes.

Mikautadze might end up joining the Sunderland ranks for only £1m more than Le Fee, which would be an almighty steal when you consider the many dazzling performances the 24-year-old forward served up under Paolo Fonseca last season.

In total, the attacking “phenomenon” – as he has been labelled in the past by former boss Emilio Ferrera – would hammer home 17 goals and pick up nine assists in all competitions, even as background noise threatened to unsettle the now Ligue 2 outfit.

Mikautadze’s G/A numbers for Lyon & Metz by season
Season	Club played for	Games played	Goals scored	Assists
24/25	Lyon	47	17	11
23/24	FC Metz	22	14	4
22/23	FC Metz	42	25	9
Sourced by Transfermarkt

When digging even deeper and analysing the table above, his numbers overall when playing in France – away from just being Lyon’s main attacking spark – blow Le Fee’s own tally even more out of the water, with a ridiculous 79 combined goals and assists coming his way for both Metz and his current employers.

With all of this on his side, there will be so much hope in the air that Mikautadze can be a rip-roaring success in England, much like Le Fee has managed to be.

If anything, having also been hailed as a “living legend” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, Mikautadze might well be even more of an enticing watch, particularly if his enthralling displays ensure immediate Premier League safety.

Sunderland plotting bargain swoop to sign "great" Premier League midfielder

The Black Cats could land an excellent deal.

By
Tom Cunningham

Jun 30, 2025