Then he had a talk with Kyril Louis-Dreyfus. The Sunderland owner has taken a hands-on role throughout this summer’s recruitment process, talking to prospective signings, helping negotiate deals, and even flying his own private jet to Switzerland to wrap up Granit Xhaka’s transfer and help transport the midfielder back to Wearside.
Speaking to Talbi, he spelled out his vision for Sunderland’s continued progress. There would be a flurry of summer signings. Next season wouldn’t just be about scrambling for survival. Talbi would be moving to an ambitious club where he could improve and develop. Safe to say, the 20-year-old winger was convinced.
“The key thing for me is this is a big club with a lot of ambition,” said Talbi, who joined Sunderland last month in a £19m move from Club Brugge. “That was the main thing that the president [Louis-Dreyfus] said when we had our conversation.
“I thought it was a good move to do. The president had a really good view of what he wanted to come next for the team in the Premier League. I was excited about the project, so I came here.
“I think it’s a good step for me. Not a big step, but a good step, I think. Yes, it’s a little bit different, but we need a challenge in life, and I will take the challenge 100 per cent.”
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That challenge will see Talbi attempt to make the step from the Belgian Pro League, where he has spent the whole of his senior career so far, to the Premier League.
The early signs have been promising, with Talbi growing more confident as pre-season has progressed. He caught the eye on the right-hand side in Sunderland’s latest friendly at Hull on Tuesday night, setting up his side’s goal when he rolled an astute square pass into the path of Simon Adingra, who swept home.
The youngster is set to be involved again when Sunderland host Real Betis at the Stadium of Light this afternoon and cannot wait for the real business to begin when the Black Cats host West Ham in their Premier League opener in a fortnight’s time.
“It really excites me,” said Talbi. “The Premier League is one of the best leagues in the world, and I’ve played a few games against top teams in the Premier League.
“I’m really excited to play these games, and we hope we’ll be getting good results. If you play against really top teams, you need to be efficient, so you will not get a lot of chances. We need to be compact and get the counter-attacks. We need to keep the ball and, as I say, we need to be efficient.”
While playing in the Premier League will be a new experience for Talbi, taking on some of Europe’s leading sides is not a novel step for the winger.
Talbi made his Champions League debut last September, coming on as a substitute as Club Brugge lost to Borussia Dortmund in the league phase, and scored a notable Champions League double in February as his two goals in the play-off round helped Brugge knock out Atalanta and qualify for the last 16. So, while English football might be new to him, he is hardly an untried novice.
“This generation, we are a lot of young guys, but we have played in big games, so it’s not about the age. I think it’s really more about the experience that you get into the club.”
With that in mind, this week’s signing of Xhaka could be crucial. While, like Talbi, the majority of Sunderland’s summer signings are still in the formative years of their career, Xhaka has been there, done it and got the winner’s medals to show off as a result.
The Swiss international, who is expected to take over as Sunderland’s new captain, spent seven years with Arsenal, winning two FA Cups, and claimed the Bundesliga title during his two years with Bayer Leverkusen.
His arrival on Wearside feels key, both in terms of what he can offer as a world-class defensive midfielder and also when it comes to the leadership role he will perform within the Sunderland dressing room.
“He [Xhaka] is a very good player,” said Talbi. “I think he will bring a lot of experience to the team that I think we need and I’m really excited to play with him.”
