Sunderland revive move to sign £20m star

Sunderland may yet find a ticket and board the European train. Last weekend’s spectacular victory over Everton on Merseyside has given them a narrow route onto the continent.

If Sunderland beat Chelsea at the Stadium of Light on Sunday, and if Manchester United win against Brighton at the AMEX, these dreams will become reality, returning to Europe all these years later, so long after defeating Leeds United in the 1973 FA Cup final.

Regis Le Bris has done a marvellous job, but the Black Cats will not want to trip over their laces during their second season, as if often the case with a newly-promoted Premier League outfit who initially fire on all cylinders.

They need new recruits, in midfield and attack. Sunderland have been far from effective in creative phases this season, and Le Bris appears to have set his sights on a talented winger to revolutionise his side’s forward line.

Sunderland begin work on signign new winger

Sunderland have succeeded this season. Picture this: there is one game left to play, and the Wearsiders lead their bitter rivals. Newcastle are 11th with 49 points, while Le Bris’ side perch on the edge of the top half, two points ahead.

Still, there’s a lot for the manager to work on over the next few months, particularly in attacking and ball-playing areas.

Le Bris needs to see more from Sunderland’s central playmakers, but also from his widemen. With that in mind, it would be good if the Black Cats could win the race for one of the EFL’s most exciting wingers.

According to TEAMtalk, Leicester City’s Abdul Fatawu has no intention of following his relegated team into League One this summer, and is thus available for transfer for £20m, despite a £30m release clause.

The Ghana international has been one of the few bright sparks at the King Power Stadium this term, and it’s worth noting that lines of communication have already been opened, with the Stadium of Light side failing with a £27.5m bid last summer. Now, they have decided to revive their interest in the forward.

Of course, Leicester were in a very different position back then, and with Everton also pushing to sign Fatawu, it feels certain that he will be on the move.

Fatawu could be Sunderland’s next Jack Clarke

Fatawu has impressed this season – for the most part. Of course, the fact that he has been relegated negates much of the praise that could have been directed his way, but the 22-year-old certainly has the skillset to succeed in the Premier League.

Praised by Alan Shearer for his “special” game-changing qualities, Fatawu is fast and he is furious. Typically peeling off the right flank, he would provide the young Chris Rigg with some much-needed competition, maybe even emerging as the club’s new version of Jack Clarke.

Clarke is not quite as aggressive and naturally pacy as Fatawu, but he’s a maverick, flashy and unpredictable. At Sunderland the young winger was hailed as a “super talent” by former boss Tony Mowbray, exceptional during the 2023/24 campaign.

Fatawu could be the second coming, someone who could end up outstripping the direct wideman.

If you’re hesitant about Fatawu’s capacity to translate that quality onto the Premier League stage, then remember that he shone across only a handful of appearances for the Foxes last season, only starting six games due to an ACL injury. Nonetheless, averaging , he’s certainly got the physicality and athleticism to shine for Sunderland.

It would not be unfair to argue that Sunderland could have done with someone like Clarke’s profile this season. The Ipswich star will play Premier League football once again next year, and his prolific performances in the second tier could prove the difference-maker in fighting to survive.

This is the kind of signing that Sunderland need to make this summer. This is a fantastic position that the Black Cats are in, and they cannot afford to stumble and slide down into a relegation dogfight.

Underlying creative numbers do demand improvement, and by signing Fatawu, such hopes will be realised.