Simon Adingra's 6.9 and 2.4 stats show he's ready to rip up the Championship at West Ham
Simon Adingra's Monaco spell proves that he will be one of the Championship's most dangerous attackers if he joins West Ham this month.
Nuno Espirito Santo is preparing West Ham for their first Championship season since 2011-12.
The Portuguese manager has the backing of the Irons' hierarchy as they seek an immediate automatic promotion back to the Premier League.
They are yet to make a high-profile first-team signing, but have several targets on their radar as the new season edges closer, with Adingra a known target.
New reports have claimed that West Ham have made a loan enquiry to Sunderland for Adingra after he fell out of favour on Wearside last season.
He impressed out on loan at Monaco in the second half of the campaign though, proving that he would be a shrewd addition to their promotion push.
Simon Adingra can be a shining light in West Ham's pursuit of Championship success
Sunderland paid around £21million to sign the Ivory Coast international from Brighton last summer, after he had spent two seasons as a Premier League regular on the south coast.
Adingra seemed to be a key part of Regis Le Bris' squad upon arriving, but was allowed to join Monaco on loan in January after scoring once in 15 games for the Black Cats.
It was in Ligue 1 where he rediscovered his previous form shown at Brighton, registering three goals and two assists in 17 appearances and 10 starts.
He was trusted to play a variety of positions across the frontline by Sebastien Pocognoli as Monaco ended the season in seventh place.
Adingra emerged with standout statistics in several key metrics, including 2.4 successful dribbles, 6.9 touches in the opposition's box and 6.27 recoveries per 90 minutes in the French top flight.
He also ranked among the top wingers for shots, assists and chances created per 90, so clearly has the ability to be a real success in a lesser league.
What has Regis Le Bris said about Adingra leaving Sunderland?
Sources have revealed to Football Insider that Jarrod Bowen will leave West Ham if they are not promoted in 2026-27, so Adingra could well be identified as a potential long-term replacement.
He is on the radar of several clubs in England and across Europe, including Monaco, which proves that he was a hit with the Ligue 1 side.
Sunderland manager Le Bris has made it clear that the door is not closed for him in the north east, but he will not stand in the way of a departure this month.
Speaking to reporters over the weekend, he said: "The transfer window is still open. This part of the season is valuable in both ways, last season was last season and the chapter is closed now. It's an opportunity for everyone to show that he's ready to compete in the team and at the moment we didn't decide if he will stay or not.
"He struggled a bit last season, it's fair to say that, and I think the experience in Monaco was interesting. For a player’s maturity, it's still positive to have different experiences, and then you get more mature. It's going to be an opportunity (now) for him, so we'll see.”