Salis Abdul Samed is in danger of joining the list of Sunderland’s most pointless signings ever.
Having signed on a season-long loan from RC Lens in the summer, the midfielder is yet to make an appearance due to injury.
With almost half the season gone and no appearances to his name, the Black Cats hierarchy will soon have a decision to make regarding the player’s immediate future.
Salis Abdul Samed arrived from Lens in high esteem
When the Ghanaian international arrived at the Stadium of Light, he was an intriguing prospect, considering the 24-year-old’s recent exploits in France.
In 2022, the midfielder was ranked sixth in the list of L’Équipe’s top players in Ligue 1, which is some feat considering the calibre of players in the division.
The defensive midfielder boasted a pass completion of 93% during the 2022/23 Ligue 1 season and ranked in the top five players in the division for the statistic.
During his first season with Lens, Samed played an integral role in pushing the French club to a second-place finish, just one point behind Paris Saint Germain.
The 24-year-old played in the World Cup and Europa League, but maybe his drop in performance – as highlighted by the statistics – was enough for manager Will Still to depart with the defensive midfielder.
| Salis Abdul Samed’s last two seasons in Ligue 1 compared – per SofaScore | ||
| Statistics | 2022/23 | 2023/24 |
| Appearances | 33 | 27 |
| Goals | 1 | 0 |
| Assists | 1 | 0 |
| Touches | 70.8 | 39.3 |
| Accurate passes per game | 55 (93%) | 29.4 (89%) |
| Tackles per game | 1.4 | 0.8 |
Samed yet to make an appearance for Sunderland
Since arriving at Sunderland in late August, the Ghanian has yet to make an appearance, even though the Championship season is 15 games deep.
He did not play at the start of the season and while no explanation was offered, it was believed he was lacking in match fitness.
As the season progressed, so did supporters’ curiosity. Where was Samed? In mid-October, Regis Le Bris revealed that the 24-year-old had arrived with an injury and then suffered a recurrence of that injury, as per The Northern Echo.
When pushed on the midfielder’s fitness at the start of November, Le Bris stated that the loanee would not be available until early December.
With the final month of the year on the horizon, supporters will be eagerly awaiting the Ghanian international’s debut but will believe it when they see it.
Samed must prove worth or risk premature departure
While Samed could still make an impact for the Black Cats this season, the club will have a decision to make if he does not make his debut before January.
A report from Allez Lens, as cited by Ghana Soccer Net, has claimed that the 24-year-old could be recalled by his parent club in the New Year amid concerns about playing time.
From Sunderland’s point of view, they must be wondering if there is any point in paying a percentage of a player’s wage if they are permanently on the treatment table.
Furthermore, there have been rumours that Jordan Henderson could make a spectacular return to his boyhood club. If Sunderland do decide to pursue the England international, then it could spell the end for Samed.
Henderson does provide an appealing option for the Black Cats, considering his experience and leadership qualities, and the hierarchy might see this option as a step up on the absent Ghanaian.
With Sunderland pushing hard for promotion, January will prove to be a critical month in the club’s season, with key decisions to be made.
The future of Samed must be one the club are considering and if they want to add reinforcements in central midfield, then his loan could be terminated.
December will be a telling month for the Lens loanee and if he fails to make an appearance then he could be waving goodbye to Sunderland without playing a single game.
