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Published Sep 29, 2026, 9:10 AM GMT+1
Daniel is an experienced football writer and editor with more than a decade of experience covering the professional game, specialising in the Championship, Football League and Scottish football, alongside in-depth coverage of Norwich City, Celtic and Rangers.
A journalist since 2015, Daniel began his career writing for Fresh Press before progressing into a full-time writing and editing role, producing club-focused coverage for Read Norwich, Read Celtic, Read Liverpool and Read Arsenal. He later spent almost a year with Liverpool-based outlet Anfield Watch, where his work included conducting and transcribing interviews with figures including Liverpool goalkeeping coach John Achterberg, former Wycombe striker Adebayo Akinfenwa and journalist Fabrizio Romano.
Daniel has worked with Snack Media (now Valnet) since 2021, contributing to Football FanCast as both a writer and editor. His work focuses particularly on player analysis, transfer insight and original football features, combining detailed knowledge of the game with research-driven assessment of players, clubs and potential moves.
His specialist knowledge of Norwich City and the Football League has also seen him contribute to BBC Norfolk and assist DAZN with research for commentary broadcasts. As a Norwich City season-ticket holder, Daniel brings a level of first-hand knowledge of the club and its players that complements his wider expertise across the Championship and EFL. His Norwich coverage has also featured in publications including the Coventry Telegraph and Liverpool Echo.
Alongside his Football League expertise, Daniel has covered Celtic and Rangers extensively, developing a strong understanding of Scottish football. His work gives readers informed transfer assessment, detailed player analysis and authoritative insight into clubs and competitions he has spent years following and reporting on.
Sunderland's work in the transfer window in the summer of 2025 has been celebrated inside and outside of the Stadium of Light over the past year.
The likes of Granit Xhaka, Brian Brobbey, Nordi Mukiele, and Omar Alderete, among others, joined to lead the team to a seventh-placed finish in the Premier League.
REUTERS/Lee SmithNot every signing made by Regis Le Bris and the recruitment team has worked out perfectly, though, as some of their signings have failed to live up to the hype.
For example, the Black Cats smashed their transfer record to sign central midfielder Habib Diarra from Strasbourg for a fee of £27m, and he has yet to fully convince on Wearside.
Why Habib Diarra has struggled at Sunderland
The Senegal international only started 15 times in the Premier League last season, missing games through the Africa Cup of Nations and through injury, and struggled in those matches.
|
Appearances |
20 |
|
Goals |
2 |
|
Assists |
2 |
|
Tackles per game |
0.7 |
|
Interceptions per game |
0.2 |
|
Ground duel success rate |
45% |
|
Aerial duel success rate |
46% |
|
Dribble success rate |
27% |
Diarra struggled at the Stadium of Light because he did not find it easy to adapt to the intensity and the physicality of the Premier League after making the switch from Ligue 1 last summer.
The midfield talent averaged under one tackle and one interception per match and lost the majority of his duels on the deck and in the air, which shows that he was unable to get up to speed out of possession in the division.
Diarra, therefore, struggled in his first season in English football because of the physical attributes needed to excel, particularly in midfield, in the Premier League.
Why Diarra needs more time
Sunderland, though, should give the 22-year-old whiz more time to adapt to the league and what is required, because he showed flashes of what he is capable of in possession.
Diarra scored two goals and provided two assists in the Premier League, after scoring eight goals and providing seven assists in the previous two seasons for Strasbourg combined. He has also scored six goals in 24 caps for Senegal at international level.
The Black Cats midfielder has the potential to make a difference in the final third as an attacking force, as evidenced by his assist off the bench to help win against Fulham earlier this season.
REUTERS/Scott HeppellHe, therefore, deserves more time to adjust to the physical demands of the Premier League so that he then has the platform to showcase his attacking quality as a regular starter in midfield, which would allow him to finally justify the club-record fee that was paid.
How Sunderland made a worse signing than Diarra
Whilst Diarra looks like he is going to get more time to make a success of his Sunderland career, one of the club's summer signings from 2025 does not look like he will get the same opportunity.
In the most recent summer transfer window, Le Bris decided to sanction a deal that sent Simon Adingra on loan to Dutch giants Ajax, giving them an option to sign him permanently at the end of the season.
That move came 12 months after Sunderland paid £21m to sign the Ivorian forward from Premier League rivals Brighton & Hove Albion upon their promotion from the Championship.
Adingra joined on £70k-per-week wages and has earned around £2m in wages since joining the club, not accounting for the time that he has spent out on loan.
The 24-year-old attacker arrived as a player who already had experience in the Premier League, having played for Brighton, yet he was unable to hit the ground running on Wearside.
Adingra struggled throughout the first half of the 2025/26 campaign under Le Bris before being sent out on loan to Monaco in France during the January transfer window.
|
Appearances |
14 |
|
Starts |
9 |
|
xG |
0.35 |
|
Goals |
1 |
|
Key passes per game |
0.5 |
|
Big chances created |
2 |
|
Assists |
|
|
Dribble success rate |
27% |
The £21m-rated wide player only produced one goal contribution, a goal in a 1-1 draw with Leeds at the Stadium of Light, in 14 league appearances for the club.
His struggles at the top end of the pitch convinced Le Bris to send him out on loan to Monaco, where he produced three goals and two assists in 17 matches.
The French side opted against pursuing a permanent deal for the Ivorian forward, though, and that opened the door for Ajax to swoop in over the summer, and now he has an opportunity to earn a permanent move to the Eredivisie giants.
Including transfer fees and wages, Sunderland have wasted in excess of £23m on the attacker and only got back one goal contribution in 13 months.
Adingra has been an even worse signing for the club than Diarra, who has offered more quality on the pitch, and could be on his way out on a permanent basis next summer.
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