---
title: "Sunderland: Benji Kimpioka receives firm transfer message from Phil Parkinson"
canonical: "https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/sunderland-benji-kimpioka-transfer-plea-phil-parkinson/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Ben Crump"
section: "League One News"
published: "2020-08-26T20:10:52Z"
modified: "2020-08-26T20:10:52Z"
---

# Sunderland: Benji Kimpioka receives firm transfer message from Phil Parkinson

**Sunderland manager Phil Parkinson has handed Benji Kimpioka [a firm message](https://www.sunderlandecho.com/sport/football/sunderland-afc/firm-message-sunderland-boss-has-benji-kimpioka-youngsters-future-still-unresolved-2952864) as speculation over the youngster’s future continues to rumble on.**

The 20-year-old attacker made [four appearances](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/benjamin-mbunga-kimpioka/profil/spieler/433652) in League One last season for the Black Cats before his contract expired in June, with continuing uncertainty over his immediate future.

After leaving Wearside, the Swedish under-21 international returned to his homeland to [train](https://www.sunderlandecho.com/sport/football/sunderland-afc/benji-kimpioka-training-european-side-uncertainty-over-his-sunderland-future-continues-2913728) with his former club IK Sirius.

With Sunderland interested in a return for the young talent, Kimpioka has revealed that he has had offers from other clubs, but [recent comments made by him](https://www.shieldsgazette.com/sport/football/sunderland-afc/free-agent-striker-reveals-what-he-wants-sunderland-2951945) have placed doubt over a return to the Stadium of Light.

![](https://cdn.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/THE-BREAKDOWN.png)

Speaking on the youngster’s future and potential return to the Black Cats, Parkinson revealed that he held an “extensive dialogue” with the player and his agent over the summer.

*“I spent a lot of time speaking to him, his agent and his brother on zoom calls over the summer,”* Parkinson is quoted as saying by [Sunderland Echo](https://www.sunderlandecho.com/sport/football/sunderland-afc/firm-message-sunderland-boss-has-benji-kimpioka-youngsters-future-still-unresolved-2952864).

*“I explained the situation to him, that he needed to sign his contract, come back and start pre-season with the first team.*

*“Then, if he was and in around it, great, if not, we’d line up loan moves for him.*

*“Unfortunately that, for whatever reason, hasn’t happened.* *Now he’s missed three weeks of pre-season.*

*“I said to him, ‘Benji, I really don’t want you to waste a season in your career’.* *At the moment, that hasn’t been resolved.*

*“If it does get resolved, great. If not we’ve got a lot of good players here and I want to focus on the ones we’ve got, and the young players who’ve come back into the group with a great appetite for it.”*

In total, Kimpioka has made [14 first team appearances for Sunderland](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/benjamin-mbunga-kimpioka/leistungsdatenverein/spieler/433652), in which he has netted [three goals](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/benjamin-mbunga-kimpioka/leistungsdatenverein/spieler/433652), but whether he can add to either of those tallies remains to be seen.

![](https://cdn.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Verdict.png)

It’s probably time for Parkison to move on at this stage. The season is fast approaching and little is being done by Kimpioka’s side to force a move through.

Parkinson needs to find a settled squad for the first league game of the season and, as the manager has outlined, Kimpioka would arrive late to the party and with a lack of training under his belt if he ends up back at the Stadium of Light.

***Do you think Kimpioka will return to Sunderland? Let us know your views in the comments section below…***