Sunderland, who conceded eight goals last weekend, have added to their defensive options by signing Anthony Reveillere on a free transfer.
In one of their darkest days in recent years, the Black Cats were left stunned when they fell to an 8-0 defeat at Southampton last Saturday afternoon. This was particularly surprising as, prior to their trip to St Mary’s, they actually had one of the better defensive records in the division, having kept two clean sheets and conceding just seven goals in their previous seven matches.
Manager Gus Poyet has been hit with injuries to fullback Billy Jones and centre-half Sebastian Coates, who is on loan from Liverpool, so he has acted by taking Reveillere on a free transfer. The French defender has been without a club since the end of last season, when he left Napoli after making 13 Serie A appearances, and he will provide some experience to his new club.
“We looked at a few different options, but I think that straightaway, because of his pedigree and the way he plays, Anthony was always our first choice,” Poyet told The Echo. “We knew we were already a bit short and as soon as Billy got injured, that was the final confirmation that we needed to look at options to bring in a player. We were lucky to convince him to come with us.
“I’m happy because he is a great option and he has a lot of experience. He knows the game and has played in France and Spain and Italy. Of course the Premier League is a new experience, but he knows the game and that is the most important thing. He has been working hard on his fitness in his time with us, and the only thing he lacks now is football fitness – match fitness.”
Reveillere, who turns 35 next month, began his career with Rennes, where he developed through the youth system to play over 150 times in all competitions. He had a brief loan spell in Spain with Valencia in 2003 before returning to his homeland with Lyon, helping them to five league titles during a decade of service before leaving for Italy in 2013. The central defender has also been recognised at international level, winning 20 caps for France and was a member of their World Cup squad in 2010 as well as their plans for the European Championships two years later.
Will Reveillere be a useful addition to the Sunderland squad, or is he just a panic buy after last weekend? Let us know what you think by joining the discussion below.
