NORDI MUKIELE: FAN VIEW

Whilst the headlines over the weekend were mostly surrounding our emphatic return to the top flight, and rightly so, Sunderland managed to strengthen our side even further. We signed a highly experienced defender from PSG in Nordi Mukiele. The defender signed from the current European Champions, but he actually played alongside our captain Granit Xhaka last season on loan at Bayer Leverkusen. To learn a bit more about Nordi we spoke with Ed from PSG Talk.

It has been said that Mukiele's best quality is his versatility, as he can play either centre back or right back. What would you say is his best position?

You’re right in that Nordi Mukiele’s best quality is his versatility. I went back through some of his games for PSG, and I found he played right-back, center-back, and left-back. PSG’s former manager, Christophe Galtier, would experiment with a 5-3-2 formation at times, with a back three primarily and Mukiele pushing up as a wingback. Under Luis Enrique, who is widely regarded as one of the top managers in the game, Mukiele lined up primarily as a right-back when he came on for Achraf Hakimi, or as a left-back when Nuno Mendes was out with a hamstring injury. Occasionally, he would play at center-back, but I still think his best position is right-back.

With his experience at the very top of European football, are you surprised to see him move to Sunderland?

I’m not surprised at all. Sunderland are back in the Premier League! I think this is an excellent move for Sunderland and Mukiele. He has only played 45 total games for PSG since arriving in 2022. Then he was loaned to Bayer Leverkusen in 2024, where he featured in 24 matches. At 27 years old, I think he was looking for a club in a top league where he can play consistently, and I think he's found that in Sunderland.

How come PSG were willing to let him go?

After one season, Luis Enrique identified that Mukiele wasn’t a player who fit his system. That doesn’t necessarily mean he’s a bad player. Look at the ongoing Gianluigi Donnarumma situation. He is easily one of the top five goalkeepers in the world but Luis Enrique doesn’t like how he distributes the ball so he signed Lucas Chevalier this summer. Many PSG fans wanted Mukiele to stay at the club as a backup to Hakimi, who plays far too many games in my opinion. Instead, the club has decided to move on from Mukiele, and it doesn’t look like PSG will sign another right-back this summer.

Do you think he'll be able to cope with the rigours of the English Premier League?

I don’t worry about him being able to handle the physicality of the Premier League. Ligue 1 is a physical league as well, and I think his time in French football would have prepared him. In terms of the pace of the Premier League, he’s always had above-average speed and acceleration. As I mentioned before, he hasn’t played that many matches in the last few seasons, so I think that will benefit Sunderland.

What's his fitness record like? Can you see him playing every game for us?

At PSG is where Mukiele suffered the more significant injuries of his career, but you can probably attribute that to a lack of playing time as they were hamstring injuries. At Leipzig, he had very minimal injuries, and unfortunately, he suffered a muscle injury toward the end of his loan spell at Leverkusen. I think if he’s playing regularly and Sunderland has a good medical team, that will go a long way in keeping him fit all season.

And what about his attitude?

I don’t recall any issues with Mukiele at PSG. I went back through our archives at PSG Talk and there was never any drama, even when it was clear he wasn’t in the club’s long-term plans. He always performed well on the pitch when called upon at PSG.

Overall what are Mukiele's biggest strengths and weaknesses?

In his time at PSG, Mukiele only received two yellow cards, so I think his ability to stay on the pitch and not commit any dangerous tackles is a strength of his. I also think his crossing and passing are above average, so he could be a benefit to Sunderland’s attack. In terms of weaknesses, I would say that while he can play multiple positions, he isn’t really elite at any one. At PSG, we are spoiled by having both Mendes and Hakimi, so we know what world-class full-backs can do. Mukiele is nowhere near that level, but he is still a very good player.

Finally, can you see him making a difference in a potential relegation battle for Sunderland?

Mukiele will absolutely make a difference for Sunderland. As we unfortunately know, injuries are part of the game, and Mukiele can provide cover at several positions should another defender miss time due to injury. I also think Mukiele’s experience will be a major asset. He’ll be familiar with Granit Xhaka from his time at Leverkusen, and the two of them will set the tone in training and on matchday for the younger players.

Best of luck this season!