Sunderland continue to be linked with Danish winger Clement Bischoff
It was a veritable smorgasbord of Sunderland-linked talent, all wrangled together and packaged into one handy, bite-sized portion of Sunday night televisual fodder.
France just about saw off Denmark at the U21s European Championships yesterday evening, scoring two late goals in two minutes to seal a dramatic 3-2 victory. From a Mackem perspective, it was a contest of unusually heightened interest given that no fewer than three players involved have been touted for prospective moves to the Stadium of Light in recent days.
Quentin Merlin got himself on the score sheet for France, while his compatriot Matthis Abline came off the bench to provide an assist for the winning goal. And yet, there is an argument to be made for it being the third of Sunderland’s apparent targets, Danish winger Clement Bischoff, who impressed the most.
The Black Cats are said to be monitoring the 19-year-old’s progress over in Slovakia, and recent reports have suggested that his current employers, Brøndby, could be willing to let him leave for around £5.1 million this summer. It is understood that the Danish outfit’s hand is being forced somewhat by the fact that Bischoff has just one year left on his contract, and that he would be freely available to sign a pre-contractual agreement with a new team come January.
And on the basis of his showing against France on Sunday - and indeed, the work he has produced over the course of the tournament writ large - the attacker could prove to be a very savvy investment for any number of suitors, Sunderland amongst them.
Bischoff helped himself to both a goal and an assist over the weekend, and provided a constant threat for his side as they pushed their opponents to the brink of an untimely exit. Operating predominantly from the left flank, the starlet looked sprightly and creative, with an instinctive knack for positioning and a willingness to get at his full-back.
Indeed, many of those traits were soundly displayed in the pivotal role he played in Denmark’s second goal, darting across the front post to flick a deft ball onwards into the six-yard box and, ultimately, the path of a teammate for a simple tap-in.
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And then, of course, there was his opening strike as well. As a wayward ball squirmed its way across the edge of the penalty area, Bischoff was by far the fastest to react, arrowing in from his berth out on the left to crash home a thunderous right-footed effort that left the French goalkeeper utterly helpless. It was the goal of a razor-sharp attacking presence, and one that proved there is a directness to his game, as well as the obvious measure of technical flair.
By no means was Bischoff’s showing against France any kind of outlier, either. Over the course of 195 minutes in Slovakia, he has scored two goals, assisted another, created a further two big chances, registered three key passes, completed five out of his seven attempted dribbles, and recorded an eye-catching six successful tackles. Not too bad for what was, essentially, a little over two matches’ worth of football.
All of this is to say that if there is any truth in Sunderland’s reported interest in Bischoff, it would certainly be warranted. The Dane is obviously a huge talent, and Sunday’s outing was a perfect illustration of both his ability and how well he can apply it in key moments.
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