Sunderland need to sway from their strict transfer policy and sign a 28-year-old who could really be the difference next season.
Kyril Louis Dreyfus‘ intentions to invest in youth became very clear as soon as he became a majority shareholder at Sunderland in 2022, signing only one player over 22 years old that summer.
The Black Cats have since snapped up the likes of Jewison Bennette, Jobe Bellingham and Romaine Mundle, but have also sent a number of the more experienced players out the exit door. In fact, this season’s squad only has five players over the age of 24.
The club’s transfer policy has been a double-edged sword. Sunderland have been brilliant in bringing in players with bags of potential, transforming them into Premier League quality stars and then, eventually, selling them on for profit.
However, it has left us now at the ‘in between stage’, where most of our players aren’t really ready to be starting in the Championship – leaving us with seven defeats in eight games.
Kristjaan Speakman so far has refused to budge on his strategy though, despite seeing no success from the four strikers he signed in the summer with an average age of 20.
The 45-year-old needs to stop with his stubbornness though, and look to a player more experienced and proven, one who can threaten a goal mouth like Ross Stewart could. In fact, he should look to Stewart’s home country one again.
The former Sunderland striker was bought for only £300,000 from Ross County in 2021, but Speakman should now look over 150 miles south for his replacement.
Lawrence Shankland is a name that has been floated around Wearside for some time now, and it is one that never fails to return. There’s a reason for that, and that is because he is very, very good.
Shankland joined Hearts from Belgian side Beerschot in 2022 and has since netted 44 goals in only 67 appearances in the Scottish Premiership. His record over his entire career is even more impressive – bagging 202 goals and 57 assists in 409 games.
The‘world-class’ 28-year-old reportedly attracted interest from both Saudi Arabia and the Championship last summer, and was said to be available for as little as £3m plus add-ons.
Sunderland can bag a bargain if they aren’t so stubborn
Shankland will be entering the final 12 months of his contract in the summer though, so Hearts could now look to sell him on for profit after they were told in January that he wouldn’t be putting pen to paper on a new deal.
Sunderland are likely to face huge competition for Shankland’s signing, but he will surely see Stewart’s success at the Stadium of Light as hope for himself, while it also means he wouldn’t be too far from Scotland.
There are very few goalscoring strikers available these days, so the Black Cats would really be missing out on a huge opportunity if they don’t even make an attempt to sign the Scotland international this summer.
Speakman will surely realise now that if he doesn’t budge from his transfer policy, then the fanbase could really start to call for his head. His transfer activity has been pretty appalling for over a year now.