Sunderland could now battle two clubs to sign one ‘terrific’ player this summer.
Sunderland are just days away from the summer window, though their transfer plans may have been put on the back-burner as they continue their search for a manager.
However, a statement from Kyril Louis-Dreyfus yesterday confirmed that an appointment was ‘imminent’, which would suggest an arrival next week is very likely.
Once a manager has been brought in, the Black Cats will be preparing to work hard to bolster their squad over the coming months.
The club have been linked with a number of players, but have barely scratched the surface in terms of rebuilding a team that is low in confidence, lacking in experience and struggling for goals.
While they will be eager to add a new striker to the squad, they could now also look to bring some more creativity to their midfield too.
Sunderland could now join the race for a £4m midfielder
According to The Sun, Sunderland ‘may join’ Birmingham City and Bristol City in the race to sign Scott Twine this summer.
The 24-year-old joined Burnley in 2022 after netting 20 goals and providing 13 assists in League One for MK Dons.
Twine struggled for minutes at Turf Moor though and was eventually sent out on loan to Hull City, where he picked up seven goal contributions in 25 matches.
He then joined Bristol City, but was forced to the sidelines after only one match.
Despite netting on his debut, Twine struggled to get back to top form after his two-month absence and only managed one further goal before the season came to an end.
The Robins were clearly impressed with his performances though and could consider launching an offer for him again, while Sunderland are also considering a move.
Birmingham seem the most likely to swoop for the midfielder though, with the report claiming they are ‘keen’ to sign Twine, with Burnley looking to sell him after two years at the club.
The Clarets reportedly paid around £5 million for the 24-year-old and will be eager to make up some of that fee when they let him go.
Scott Twine could finally replace Amad Diallo
It’s unclear how much he would cost Sunderland, but with two years left on his contract, they would likely have to pay a number of millions for his signature.
Considering he struggled with injury and a stop-start season, six goals and three assists isn’t a bad return for Twine.
He is undeniably far from the player he was in League One with MK Dons, but he has struggled to pick up a regular run of starts and may just need a bit of faith in him to kick on next year.
Twine could be a very solid signing for the Black Cats, who still haven’t replaced Amad Diallo or Alex Pritchard.
Sunderland have really struggled to create opportunities without either of their former players, while Jobe Bellingham can’t be relied upon to run past players and pull off passing sequences with Patrick Roberts.
He may be costly, but Twine is a player that Kristjaan Speakman should look to invest in and could well overturn a profit in a few years time.