Tony Mowbray has confessed he is helpless on deciding whether Edouard Michut will remain a Sunderland player. Signed from Paris Saint-Germain last summer, the Frenchman has endured a mixed season on loan at the Black Cats.
A mixture of injuries and lack of first-team football frustrated the midfielder but he has been given a chance to impress in recent weeks due to Corry Evans’ ACL injury. Michut starred in the 2-1 victory at Norwich City before scoring his first Sunderland goal against promotion hopefuls Sheffield United.
However, he is yet to complete a full 90 minutes in a red-and-white shirt. Mowbray admitted deciding to make Michut’s move permanent, which Sunderland have the option to do so, is out of his hands.
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"I don't think that's my decision,” he told reporters. “It's up to those who make that decision on whatever that number (transfer fee) might be. Is he contributing enough or has he got the potential to contribute enough to be an asset to the football club?
"For me, I just work with the footballers and wring as much growth out of them as we can. Edouard is showing that he is a good footballer. Where might he be a bit down the line? Will the division be easier for him because he's adapted? Only time will tell.
"If that decision has to be made in the summer then it won't be mine. The club will have to decide whether they see a player who can turn millions into multi-millions somewhere in the future. First and foremost, Edouard has to stay in the team. At the moment, he's getting the opportunity - which is great - because he's showing everyone what he can do.
"Let’s see where the future is for him. Hopefully, he cements his place in the team and everybody talks about him as we move forward because he can see pictures on the pitch."
The Black Cats boss has also explained how he believes Michut can improve. A France under-20s international and product of PSG’s academy, the midfielder has pedigree but Mowbray has insisted he can do more in front of goal.
“I tell him he has to fight with the body he’s got,” he added. “That’s what he has to do. It’s no good him saying, ‘well I can’t play against that big 6ft 4in midfield player, he’s too strong’. He has to do it. He has to fight with his body and, to be fair to him, he does put his body in.
"He’s got that quality where he can almost slither under a player with a bigger frame and get past him, and once he’s on the ball, we know he’s a very talented boy. You can sometimes see me screaming at him from the sidelines, and he’s looking over and saying, ‘shut up’.
"If there are things he has to improve on, then he has to work hard on them. We have to get him further forward, and we’re trying to develop systems where we can do that. Hopefully, he’ll score goals and become the footballer that he wants to be.”
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