Timothée Pembélé reveals frustration after being frozen out at Sunderland

Sunderland defender Timothée Pembélé has opened up about a difficult period at the Stadium of Light, admitting he barely had contact with head coach Régis Le Bris before being allowed to leave on loan once again.

Pembélé spent last season on loan at Le Havre AC, where he featured 21 times across the back line. After returning to Sunderland in the summer, the 21-year-old hoped to finally establish himself in Le Bris’ plans. Instead, he was once again overlooked.

The defender did not make a single appearance for the Black Cats this season.

On January 5, Le Havre manager Didier Digard confirmed his desire to bring Pembélé back to the club. Just two days later, the Ligue 1 side announced his return on a fresh loan deal.

French outlet Paris Normandie has now published an in-depth interview with the Sunderland-owned defender, detailing his experiences under Le Bris and the reasons behind his decision to return to Le Havre.

Sunderland signed Pembélé from Paris Saint-Germain in September 2023, but his time in England has been disrupted. A knee injury ruled him out for the first four months of the 2023/24 campaign, and he went on to play just 602 minutes across 12 matches that season.

Reflecting on the past six months at Sunderland, Pembélé did not hide his frustration.

“It was difficult. I wasn’t playing, and to be perfectly honest, I wasn’t even training with the first team,” he said.

“Sometimes it was separate training, sometimes with the youth team.

“But when you’re going through a tough time in your career, you try to put things in perspective. You think about life, you remind yourself that you’re healthy, and that your family is too.”

He added that his initial loan spell at Le Havre had helped rebuild momentum after injury, but returning to Sunderland stalled that progress.

“It’s true that in my first year, I didn’t play much. Then there was that first loan to Le Havre which allowed me to get back on track, to forget about past injuries, but the last six months still disrupted my momentum. That’s why I’m very happy to be back here. Now I don’t have to worry about settling in — I know the club.”

When asked whether sharing a nationality with Le Bris meant he expected different treatment, Pembélé was blunt.

“I didn’t speak with him. That’s just how it is,” he explained. “In football, sometimes the manager doesn’t want you. It’s not the end of the world.”

While Pembélé stopped short of criticising Sunderland directly, his comments suggest little expectation of a future under the current regime.

Pembélé remains under contract with Sunderland until 2028, but he did not rule out a permanent move back to Le Havre.

When asked whether that option had been discussed, he said: “Maybe with my agent, but I don’t have any information. It would be great, though. I feel good here, my family comes often, I know the club, the city — but again, I don’t have complete control over my future.”

For now, the focus is on rebuilding confidence and momentum in familiar surroundings.

Pembélé’s long-term future remains unresolved, but his words suggest a return to Sunderland is unlikely under the current setup. A strong loan spell at Le Havre could accelerate discussions about a permanent solution.

Should Sunderland have handled Pembélé’s situation differently — or was the loan exit inevitable?