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RR: So.... Contento. What kind of full back is he? If he signs he'll be replacing the outgoing Patrick van Aanholt, who is great going forward but fairly suspect defensively.
AG: Diego Contento is similar in that regard. He's better on the front foot and has a good left foot. He's a very unspectacular type of player.
I'm not going to say that he is suspect defensively, but it says a lot that in the last two league games he started, Bordeaux conceded eight times, although he was hauled off at half-time when his side were 2-0 down against Monaco.
RR: His career path is an interesting one. Having started out at Bayern Munich he then ended up at Bordeaux, where he has remained since 2014. He's been a constant regular in their team but recently hasn't enjoyed the best of times... what has gone on there?
AG: He arrived from Bayern Munich with great fan-fare - a Bayern youth with huge potential. But, he hasn't reached it. He's just a very regular full-back.
After the new year Theo Pellenard - another young prospect - has taken his place. Poundje, their other left back, has been injured a lot, or I would have expected him to play more.
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RR: Be honest - does he have what it takes to step straight in and make an impact in the Premier League? He'll be expected to do so.
AG: Not really. Can he do a job - yes. Will he provide the same impact that Patrick van Aanholt gave Sunderland down the left - no.
RR: He and Wahbi Khazri used to play in the same team. What were they like together as a pairing down the Bordeaux left hand side?
AG: Nothing actually comes to mind. There was no real partnership. Whether as a left winger or as a number ten, Wahbi Khazri always came inside. That left space for Contento to attack, but they were no real dynamic-duo.
RR: Why don't the Bordeaux fans appear to like Diego Contento?
AG: Mostly because he's rarely a factor in their success. He's not been as good as hoped. He's not indispensable.
In terms of comparing him to other full-backs in France, his numbers are good defensively, but if you were ranking the 20-25 players in that position in Ligue 1, you'd put him in the lower half.
RR: And finally - Sunderland have been active in France this last twelve months but despite promise, none of the acquisitions have managed a consistent level of performance. Can we expect the same?
AG: When looking at Kone, Ndong and Khazri, you'd put Contento - in terms of quality - below the three of them.
If it's a loan deal, then it's low risk. With limited resources, it may be as well as Sunderland can do, but it's not a deal that I would be pursuing.