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Full Name
Wahbi Khazri
Date & Place Of Birth
Wahbi was born on the 8th of February 1991 in Ajaccio, France.
Playing History
Khazri signed youth forms with SC Bastia when he was twelve years old and progressed through their academy, making his senior debut for the club at the age of eighteen in a game against Amiens in February of 2009.
Khazri impressed enough to stay in the team and scored three goals between his debut and the end of the season, going on to be a regular in Bastia's team up until leaving to join Ligue 1 giants Bordeaux in the summer of 2014.
At Bordeaux he has been a revelation, becoming their most creative outlet. He's very rarely injured, meaning he plays most weeks, and having scored nine goals from midfield last season he has five to his name in the current campaign, with seven assists this season making him the second highest assist maker in the league behind PSG's Angel DI Maria.
Although Khazri has played games at youth level for France he opted to represent Tunisia in 2013, and achieved his first call up to the national side to take part in the 2013 African Cup of Nations. Wahbi has eleven caps for his country thus far, scoring six times. Pretty impressive.
Physically, What Is He Like?
Khazri is not a small man - at six foot tall he's fairly big for someone so nimble and quick. In France Wahbi is famed for his low centre of gravity and ability to run at pace.
What Has Been Said?
Wahbi's parent club, Bordeaux, have confirmed that they have agreed the sale of Khazri to Sunderland - it's just a matter of completing the formalities now.
Accord trouvé avec @SunderlandAFC pour W. #Khazri. Plusieurs pistes pour le remplacer. >>> https://t.co/Y94M1ORepS pic.twitter.com/AKphky97bW
— FCGirondins Bordeaux (@girondins) January 29, 2016
A statement on their website reads:
The club has reached an agreement with Sunderland AFC (England) for the transfer of Wahbi Khazri.
The club is working on several tracks to offset this potential departure.
The playmaker has a great opportunity with the English club, and was therefore allowed to travel to England to negotiate with the Premier League club.
How Has He Fared This Season?
Simply put, he's been outstanding. Although Bordeaux have struggled for consistancy the performances from Khazri have been a particular highlight, and he's really developing well as a player. As stated previously he's the second highest assist maker in the French league this season, and on top of that he has five goals.
Where Will He Fit Into Sam Allardyce's Squad?
We've been crying out for a creative player that moves with pace that can play just in front of Yann M'Vila and Lee Cattermole and, well, we've got one.
Khazri is a playmaker in every sense of the word - his sole role in the side at Bordeaux has been to create the link between midfield and attack in order to help create chances and score goals.
Aside from that, Khazri likes to have a pop at goal from distance, something else our other midfielders tend not to do.
Adam Johnson and Jeremain Lens have struggled for form this season, so the hope is that Khazri can come straight into the Sunderland side and have an instant impact.
Injury & Suspension History
Errrrr...Not too bad.
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Video Footage
Who doesn't love a good ol' goal and assist video? I know I do.
Conclusion
I have to admit that I'm very excited about what Wahbi Khazri will bring to our side. It's a very un-Sunderland-y signing, isn't it? He's about to enter the prime years of his career, is coming to us on the back of a very successful spell at Bordeaux and has all of the characteristics that our current side is lacking - his pace, set-piece ability, creativity and goalscoring is something we are sorely lacking in midfield.
All transfers are a risk, we know that. Lets just hope that he can slot straight in to our side and have an instant impact.
