Sunderland’s price tag for Anthony Patterson has now emerged.
Born in North Shields, Anthony Patterson joined Sunderland’s academy as a child and rose up through the ranks.
After a loan spell with Notts County, the goalkeeper enjoyed his breakthrough in the second half of the 2021-22 campaign.
Picking up ten clean sheets in 23 games, Patterson played a key role in winning promotion to the Championship and has since become a key member of the squad.
The shot-stopper’s ‘wonderful’ performances for Sunderland have caught the eye of a number of clubs, with Liverpool the first to be linked with him earlier this year.
Arsenal have also expressed interest, while Sheffield United are reportedly considering a £8 million bid to sign him after they were relegated.
Anthony Patterson’s eight-figure price tag
While it is ‘likely’ that Patterson will stay at the Stadium of Light this summer, Sunderland do have an asking price for him that, if met, could mean he leaves his boyhood club.
According to the Sunderland Echo, the Black Cats will demand between £10 million and £20 million to part ways with Patterson.
The 24-year-old only signed a new contract in September and still has four years left on his deal, so there is no way the club will be tempted into offloading him on the cheap.
It also seems unlikely that Patterson would push for a move away and could well be happy to stay on Wearside, putting Sunderland in complete control of his potential fee.
Is he worth more than James Trafford was in 2023?
Potential suitors may see that as quite as expensive, but they only have to look at James Trafford to understand why he would cost them so much.
The 21-year-old was named as Bolton Wanderers’ Young Player of the Year before earning himself a whopping £19 million switch to Burnley – despite only making 78 appearances in the third tier.
Patterson may be a little older, but he has much more experience than Trafford did.
It does seem like they would get closer to the £10m mark in terms of incoming bids, and then it would be up to the club as to whether that would be suitable or not.
There would be plenty of options for Sunderland to look at if they do sell the goalkeeper, but fans will be frustrated if they don’t manage to get a decent fee for him.