Enzo Le Fee shuts down Liverpool talk as Sunderland’s standout midfielder keeps focus on the run-in

Enzo Le Fee is not giving much oxygen to the noise around his future.

With Liverpool reportedly tracking the Sunderland midfielder after a strong campaign, the Frenchman has made it clear where his attention is: the pitch, the final stretch of the season, and the club that has helped put him back in the spotlight.

Le Fee has been one of the key figures in Sunderland’s encouraging return to the Premier League. After coming up through the Championship play-offs last season, the Black Cats have handled the step up impressively, securing survival with room to spare and showing enough quality to suggest they are more than just a short-term top-flight visitor.

Their recent 0-0 draw with Manchester United underlined that progress. Sunderland were organised, competitive and unlucky not to come away with more, and Le Fee again played his part in a side that has developed a clear identity under Regis Le Bris.

That form has naturally created transfer chatter. Le Fee has registered four goals and five assists in the league this season, and his technical quality, energy and willingness to compete have drawn attention beyond Wearside. Liverpool have been mentioned as a possible admirer, but the 25-year-old is not allowing the rumours to shift his focus.

Le Fee: Focus is on football, not speculation

Speaking about the links, Le Fee acknowledged that such attention is positive on one level, but he stopped well short of encouraging the conversation.

“It’s always good to hear something like this, but it’s only the media part,” he said. “I just care about the end of the season. We’ve got two big games now, and I’m only focused on the pitch.”

It is the kind of answer Sunderland supporters will want to hear. Not because it guarantees anything long-term, but because it reflects a player still fully invested in the immediate job.

At this stage of the season, that matters. Survival may already be secure, but these closing matches still shape how a campaign is remembered. For a promoted side, finishing well can change the mood from simple relief to genuine momentum.

The Le Bris connection still matters

Le Fee also pointed to the importance of working under Le Bris, the manager who knew him long before Sunderland.

The pair go back to their time at Lorient, where Le Bris played a significant role in Le Fee’s development. That familiarity has clearly helped in England, giving the midfielder a platform to settle quickly and play with freedom in a demanding league.

“I think he gave me a lot since I’m 12 now,” Le Fee said of his manager. “I enjoy working under him.”

That quote says plenty. In a season where Sunderland have had to adapt quickly to Premier League level, trust and continuity have been valuable currencies. Le Fee has not looked like a player overwhelmed by the division; he has looked like one whose game has been sharpened by structure and confidence.

Why Sunderland fans have taken to him

Le Fee’s numbers are useful, but they do not tell the whole story.

What has stood out is the blend in his game. He brings creativity, yes, but also edge. He is the kind of midfielder who can slip through tight spaces and then scrap to recover the ball moments later. That combination tends to travel well in the Premier League, and it has helped him build a connection with Sunderland’s supporters.

Le Fee himself seems to understand exactly why that relationship has formed.

“I’ve enjoyed a lot of my time here since I came, since the first day,” he said. “I think we’ve got a really good relationship between me and the fans. I think it’s because of them, because I’ve had a really good welcome.”

He added that supporters appreciate more than just the flashes of flair.

“They say it’s a bit of magic, but they also like it because I fight. I’m small, I’m not a big guy, but I give 100% in every duel. Sometimes I can lose some duels, but I will give 100% every time.”

That self-awareness is revealing. In England, technical midfielders are often judged not only on what they create, but on whether they can handle the physical and emotional pace of the game. Le Fee’s point is that he has worked to add that side to his profile.

“Before I wasn’t someone who could fight like this, but I knew that if I wanted to be the top player, I needed this part, so I’ll keep working on this.”

Liverpool links are a sign of progress

Whether anything develops later is a question for the summer. Right now, the existence of the speculation says as much about Sunderland’s season as it does about Le Fee’s.

Promoted teams usually spend their first year trying to survive unnoticed. Sunderland have done more than that. They have produced performances with personality, stayed clear of immediate danger and seen individual players raise their profile in the process.

Le Fee is central to that story. His output has been solid, but his wider influence has arguably been bigger: helping Sunderland play through pressure, connecting midfield to attack, and giving them moments of composure in games that can otherwise become frantic.

For Liverpool, if the interest is real, the appeal is easy to understand. He is technically clean, comfortable in possession and increasingly resilient without the ball. He also appears coachable and grounded, which matters when clubs assess whether a player can make the jump into a higher-pressure environment.

Still, this is not a story with a conclusion yet. It is a snapshot of a player in form, a club enjoying a successful return to the top division, and the transfer rumour cycle beginning to spin as the season nears its end.

What comes next

Sunderland now head into their final two matches looking to close out the season strongly, and Le Fee’s comments suggest his priorities are aligned with that task.

That will be encouraging for Le Bris and for supporters who have embraced him quickly. Transfer links can often distort the picture around a player, especially when a bigger club is involved. Le Fee, at least publicly, is trying to keep the picture simple.

No grand statements. No opening of doors. No performance of loyalty either.

Just a focus on football.

For Sunderland, that is probably the best possible message at this point in the campaign. And for Le Fee himself, it is another sign that his rise this season has been built on substance rather than noise.