Who is Enzo Le Fee? Sunderland midfielder, 24, linked with Liverpool transfer

Liverpool is looking at its summer transfer options with another Premier League star, Sunderland midfielder Enzo Le Fee, the latest player linked with an Anfield move

Enzo Le Fee has been linked with a move to Liverpool in the summer(Image: Getty Images)

Enzo Le Fee has emerged as something of a surprise name linked with a move to Liverpool this summer, with the Reds said to be among a host of clubs keen on the Sunderland star.

Although another big spending spree like last summer is unlikely, Liverpool will nevertheless have plenty of work to do during the transfer window, especially with Mohamed Salah departing after nine years at Anfield.

Arne Slot will have other areas to deal with, and calls have been growing for him to strengthen his midfield, with Alexis Mac Allister having endured a disappointing season, while Curtis Jones has been touted for a move away.

Le Fee is the latest name to be linked with a switch to Anfield, with TeamTalk claiming that several English clubs are keen on the 24-year-old, who has been one of the standouts for Sunderland in an impressive first season back in the Premier League.

Liverpool is said to have registered an interest in Le Fee last year, and is ready to reignite its pursuit this summer, although there are other sides with European ambitions said to be monitoring developments closely.

In any case, it’s suggested Sunderland is determined to keep hold of its big names, and Le Fee is central to its long-term plans.

Who is Enzo Le Fee?

Le Fee began his football journey in his native France at the academy of La Vigilante FL Keryado, before joining Lorient at the age of eight.

He signed his first professional contract with the club in November 2018 before going on to make his first-team debut in May 2019. He made 142 appearances and scored eight goals for Lorient, and was part of the team that won the Ligue 2 title in 2020, earning promotion to the first tier as a result.

In 2023, he joined Rennes, but would only play for a year at the club before securing another move, this time to Italy as he joined Roma in a $23 million ($27M) deal.

He only made 10 appearances, with just six of them coming in Serie A, before he was loaned out to Sunderland in January 2025. The deal included a mandatory obligation for the Black Cats to sign Le Fee if they won promotion to the Premier League.

The midfielder made 18 appearances in total during the remainder of the campaign, including a start in the Championship play-off final, which saw Sunderland return to the top flight with a 2-1 win over Sheffield United at Wembley.

As a result, Le Fee completed a £19M ($26M) move to the Stadium of Light, signing a four-year contract in the process. This season, he has made 35 appearances across all competitions, scoring five and adding five assists.

He is yet to earn a senior cap for France, although he has represented his country at U19 and U21 levels, and appeared in all three games at the 2020 Olympics in Japan as the French were knocked out in the group stages.

Enzo Le Fee in action for Sunderland against Liverpool this season(Image: Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

A central midfielder by trade, Le Fee has also operated on the left wing for Sunderland. He told the Sunderland Echo last year that his childhood hero was Iniesta, while lifting the lid on his ambitions.

"When I was younger the main league I used to watch and wanted to play in was La Liga," Le Fee said.

"That was my [style of] football, and I'm a big, big fan of Barcelona. [My hero] was Iniesta. A genius. It was like he had eyes in the back of his head.

“But when I came here and I played, I said straight away, ‘I want to play in the Premier League.’ I used to watch Premier League games and it was nice but when you play in the Championship… you imagine what it would be like.

“The atmosphere in the stadium, the football as well, I like. It is more about the transitions and I’ve enjoyed this. I said, ‘I want to play in the Premier League with Sunderland’."