NafisaSunderland currently find themselves in unfamiliar waters in a top-half position in the Premier League.
The last time the Black Cats finished in the higher reaches of the division was when they ended the 2010/11 season in 11th place, when the likes of Jordan Henderson and Darren Bent regularly pulled on Sunderland red and white.
Fast forward 14 years, and Regis Le Bris is now pulling off the unexpected, albeit with faces such as Granit Xhaka and Brian Brobbey at his disposal, who have competed in the Champions League, before making the daring switch to Wearside.
That isn’t to say Sunderland completely dismiss their demise down to the Championship, and even League One, with a new signing potentially on their agenda that even harkens back to their up-and-down EFL days.
Sunderland join race to sign Premier League star
It was an unbelievable rollercoaster of a journey for Sunderland to lift themselves out of that slump to then return to the Premier League with class.
They will want to remain in the elite league for as long as possible, and then cement, with some ambitious names being linked to the Stadium of Light this January to help with that goal, which includes ex-Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek being tipped to call Wearside home.
Looking more long-term, too, away from this month, Sunderland are also being linked with a statement move for Fulham attacker Harry Wilson, with his out-of-contract situation at Craven Cottage the talk of the town this window.
Indeed, talkSPORT has revealed that Marco Silva’s men are facing an uphill battle to keep their dazzling Welshman past this season, with it looking very likely that he won’t pen an extended deal in West London.
That opens the floor to several Premier League clubs to go after his in-demand services, as Wilson pushes for an exit, with Everton, Leeds United, Crystal Palace, and Le Bris’ men named as potential next destinations for the ex-Liverpool attacker.
Sunderland will fancy their chances of landing another audacious swoop, having been courageous enough last summer to snap up Xhaka among many other standout signings, with Wilson perhaps going down as another Amad Diallo-style figure at the Stadium of Light if all falls into place.
Why Wilson can be Sunderland’s new Amad
Amad really was a standout talent for Sunderland fans to savour when they were marooned in the Championship, with sumptuous efforts such as this one hitting the back of the net away at Wigan Athletic, becoming customary of his 42-game stint at the Black Cats.
By the end of his season-long loan, away from Manchester United, the silky Ivorian had amassed a mightily impressive 14 strikes.
A large portion of those strikes came from the “unbelievable” forward – as his former Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray described him – hammering home a long-range effort via his left foot.
Sunderland would never manage to get their hands back on Amad, as he then went on to be a success with the Red Devils, but they could finally be able to gain the next best thing by snapping up Wilson on a free transfer, who is known for a magical strike or two under Silva’s wing.
Wilson’s blistering Premier League form as of late, which has seen him be noted as “the form player” in the entire division by Sky Sports’ Dougie Critchley, has led to him powering home a stunning eight strikes from 25 top-flight contests this season.
A deal for him to enter for nothing would undoubtedly go down as an Amad-style coup, like when the 23-year-old called the Stadium of Light his temporary home.
| Wilson’s PL stats (25/26) | |
|---|---|
| Stat | Wilson |
| Games played | 21 |
| Goals scored | 7 |
| Assists | 4 |
| Goals from outside the box | 2 |
| Goals with right foot | 1 |
| Goals with left foot | 6 |
| Stats by Squawka | |
Further lauded as an “incredible” talent by Jurgen Klopp, this has all the makings of being another jaw-dropping signing that further validates Sunderland’s standing as a deserved Premier League outfit, with Wilson also collecting four assists this season, as an attacker always wanting to make things happen.
That is very similar to Amad, as well, who has gone on to collect 15 assists at Old Trafford as a hard-to-contain livewire.
But, while it’s far-fetched that the United number 16 would come back to Sunderland, it looks on the cards that Wilson could join Le Bris’ ranks, if they are brave enough to win another intense transfer battle.
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