Chemsdine Talbi explains Kyril Louis-Dreyfus role in Sunderland talks
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WHEN Chemsdine Talbi was contemplating his future this summer, amid interest from Sunderland, his knowledge of the club was somewhat limited. Big club, fell on hard times, won promotion back to the Premier League. That was about that.
Then he had a talk with Kyril Louis-Dreyfus. The Sunderland owner has taken a hands-on role throughout this summer’s recruitment process, talking to prospective signings, helping negotiate deals, and even flying his own private jet to Switzerland to wrap up Granit Xhaka’s transfer and help transport the midfielder back to Wearside….
“The key thing for me is this is a big club with a lot of ambition,” said Talbi, who joined Sunderland last month in a £19m move from Club Brugge. “That was the main thing that the president [Louis-Dreyfus] said when we had our conversation.
“I thought it was a good move to do. The president had a really good view of what he wanted to come next for the team in the Premier League. I was excited about the project, so I came here. I think it's a good step for me. Not a big step, but a good step, I think. Yes, it’s a little bit different, but we need a challenge in life, and I will take the challenge 100 per cent.”
…The youngster is set to be involved again when Sunderland host Real Betis at the Stadium of Light this afternoon and cannot wait for the real business to begin when the
Black Cats host West Ham in their Premier League opener in a fortnight’s time.
“It really excites me,” said Talbi. “The Premier League is one of the best leagues in the world, and I’ve played a few games against top teams in the Premier League. I’m really excited to play these games, and we hope we'll be getting good results. If you play against really top teams, you need to be efficient, so you will not get a lot of chances. We need to be compact and get the counter-attacks. We need to keep the ball and, as I say, we need to be efficient.”
“I am young, but I think I already have a lot of experience,” said Talbi. “We [the summer signings] might be young, but I think we have a lot of experience. A lot of the other players have this experience also. This generation, we are a lot of young guys, but we have played in big games, so it's not about the age. I think it's really more about the experience that you get into the club.”
(About playing with Xhaka) “He is a very good player,” said Talbi. “I think he will bring a lot of experience to the team that I think we need and I’m really excited to play with him.”