Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris says that Marc Guiu’s unexpected recall to Chelsea in the summer illustrates the “unpredictable” nature of the transfer window.
The Spanish striker joined the Black Cats on a season-long loan deal in August, but was back at Stamford Bridge by the end of the month after Liam Delap sustained an injury.
The deal did not include a recall clause, but the Blues were able to convince Sunderland to send him back anyway. The two clubs come face to face in the Premier League this Saturday.
Sunderland boss opens up on ‘weird’ Marc Guiu transfer with Chelsea
“Sometimes the market and the life of different clubs and players is a bit weird! We appreciated the short spell we had with Marc, but now it’s another story,” Le Bris said in his pre-match press conference.
“We developed a good connection with Chelsea and when they had many injuries, they decided to call our sporting department. They had a conversation and the end of the story was he went back to Chelsea.
“The market is the market and sometimes you have to face unpredictable situations. We were able to find another solution, but the balance was we could say yes to their request if we are able to find another solution.
“It was possible, so we are okay.”
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Despite losing Guiu prematurely, Sunderland have managed to be competitive in the Premier League following a series of smart purchases.
“You can’t solve everything with money,” said Le Bris.
“You need money to be competitive in the market, but after that, you have to develop your own expertise according to the profile you need and the identity you have at the club.
“The recruitment structure worked really well to find these profiles because the connection early in the season went really well.
“We felt the personalities, the profiles fit really well with what we wanted.”
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