Sunderland have joined the transfer race for Motherwell striker Theo Bair, per reports.
An emerging report from HITC has revealed that Sunderland are among the clubs chasing a summer transfer deal for Theo Bair at Motherwell.
The Canadian international began his career with Vancouver Whitecaps before heading to Scotland with St Johnstone.
But it’s at Motherwell where he’s really found his footing; in 2023/24, the 24-year-old scored 15 and assisted six more in 38 Scottish Premiership games.
Sunderland are not the only team interested; Blackburn Rovers and Cardiff City also like the striker, but it’s St Pauli who are currently thought to be leafing the race.
Theo Bair career so far
Born in Ottawa, Canada, Bair got his breakthrough with Vancouver Whitecaps, making his debut in the 2019 MLS season.
But in 39 total appearances, he’d score only three goals, with St Johnstone then signing him for an undisclosed fee in January 2022.
Another tough spell in front of goal would follow; Bair scored just once in 38 games for St Johnstone before Motherwell then took a punt on him last summer.
And the Scottish outfit have been repaid for their faith in the striker who notched 21 goal contributions in the 2023/24 campaign, earning himself a spot in the Scottish PFA Team of the Year.
One BBC headline described Bair, who has two caps for Canada and one goal, as a ‘goalscoring animal’.
What they say about Theo Bair
Motherwell manager Stuart Kettlewell on Theo Bair: “Theo is a student of the game, he really buys into the information and detail that comes across, the work ethic of spending that time on the pitch to try and improve and learn his trade.”
Stuart Kettlewell on transfer interest in Theo Bair: “I would love to keep him at the football club because I feel that he is just getting better and better, I feel he is really learning his trade and enjoying his football.
“He is loving everything about playing here at Motherwell and leading the line.
“When you look across world football, there is not a whole host of number nines that play with his stature, his pace, his ability to play with his back to goal, and then the finishing prowess he is starting to show.”
Theo Bair player profile
- Full name: Thelonius Bair
- Age: 24
- Height: 1.91m (6ft 2in)
- Nationality: Canadian
- Date of birth: August 27th 1999
- Place of birth: Ottawa, Canada
- Position: Striker
- Club: Motherwell
Theo Bair highlights
Theo Bair to Sunderland analysis
Bair seems very much like a Ross Stewart-type striker; he’s big and strong and clinical in one-on-one situations, with his goals last season proving that.
He’s had an unconventional route to where he is now and he still has a lot to prove. But his stock is certainly high and interest from the Championship and abroad should tell us all we need to know about his potential.
Bair, judging by his highlights, is a striker who likes to hang on the should of defenders and then burst through on goal.
He’s a neat finisher, but six assists also shows us that he’s a striker who can link up with other players, which could mean getting even more out of Sunderland’s other talented attacking players.
Kristjaan Speakman certainly needs to fix Sunderland’s striker issues this summer, and a physical one like Bair could fill that long-term void left by Stewart.
There’s certainly a lot to de admired about Bair. But with St Pauli leading the race and Sunderland not even having a manager in place, it looks like a potentially hopeful pursuit for the Black Cats as things stand.