A Sunderland transfer target has been urged to snub the Black Cats and join another Championship team instead.
Sunderland are ramping up their summer transfer planning with a number of new names on their radar, and a number of players looking set to leave.
The likes of Chris Willock has been linked with a potential summer move to the Stadium of Light, whilst goalkeeper Anthony Patterson is being strongly linked with a move to Sheffield United.
But fan focus will be on Kristjaan Speakman and the players he can bring in this summer. There’s a number of positions that need bolstering but fans want to see some quality in the final third.
It comes after another season without an out and out striker, with Jack Clarke‘s probable summer exit only adding to the ongoing lack of firepower in the side.
One potentially shrewd attacking signing has been linked this summer, along with Willock, and that’s Ian Poveda who’s set to become a free agent.
But the Colombian international has been urged to snub a possible move to Wearside this summer.
Ian Poveda urged to snub Sunderland
Poveda, 24, sees his Leeds United contract expire this summer, with recent reports linking him with Sunderland, as well as Burnley, Luton Town, and a return to Sheffield Wednesday.
It comes after a positive loan spell with the Owls in the second half of the 2023/24 campaign with Poveda featuring 10 times in the Championship and grabbing one assist.
Wednesday are desperate to bring him back, and now, former Owls midfielder turned pundit Carlton Palmer has urged Poveda to return to Hillsborough this summer.
Palmer told Football League World: “Of course, Burnley and Luton are going to be in the Championship next season, Sunderland are going to be in the Championship. I think the best fit for him is where he is, Sheffield Wednesday.
“Join a club where you enjoy, he’s become a fans’ favourite. Join a club where you’re playing regular football where you’re enjoying your football, where you’re enjoying playing for the manager.”
Palmer added: “I think still the best fit for him is joining Sheffield Wednesday where he spent the second half of the season on loan and excelled.”
Sunderland could dodge a bullet with Ian Poveda move
There’s no doubting Poveda’s trickery and impact in the final third; we saw at Sheffield Wednesday his ability to really hit teams and cause them issues when he has the ball at his feet, and it’s no surprise to see this kind of interesting starting to emerge.
But Poveda comes with one major issues and that’s that he’s injury prone; he missed the last five games of the season for Wednesday with a recurring muscle injury, having only made 25 league appearances for Leeds United in five seasons.
That’s also owing to loan moves away from Elland Road, but even in loan spells with Blackburn Rovers, Blackpool, and Wednesday, Poveda only made a total of 44 league appearances.
So for a Sunderland side who’ve already been plagued by injuries in the last two years, adding another injury prone player to the mix doesn’t seem like such a bright idea, no matter how talented Poveda might be on his day.
Speakman needs to bring in players who can last the entirety of the campaign and also add that much-needed quality ahead of another tough Championship campaign.