A successful summer in the transfer market may very well prove to be the difference between an immediate return to the Championship and Sunderland re-establishing themselves among the Premier League’s elite.
Enzo Le Fee saw his loan spell from Roma transformed into a permanent transfer this week. At £20 million, the fan favourite Frenchman finally ends Didier Ndong’s near decade-long reign at the top of the Sunderland charts.
Though, after waiting nine years for a new record signing, two could arrive in the space of one summer.
Sunderland are eyeing Liverpool defender Joe Gomez – the England international is reportedly valued at £25 million – while Monaco’s Wilfried Singo is another ambitious Black Cats target.
But, with that play-off final triumph over Sheffield United opening Sunderland up to a higher class of more expensive market options, Regis Le Bris’ Wembley winners seemingly have no current plans to revisit a target from back in January.
TalkSPORT claim that former Leicester City and Everton winger Demarai Gray would ideally like to play Premier League football if he returns to England from Saudi Arabia this summer. Whether or not such an opportunity presents itself, it appears Sunderland are in no rush to provide Gray with the chance he’s waiting for.
Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images
Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images
Sunderland yet to make Demarai Gray move after Al-Ettifaq disaster
TalkSPORT add that, as things stand, Sunderland have not rekindled the interest they demonstrated in the winter.
Give Me Sport back up that stance, with Championship newcomers Birmingham City emerging as perhaps the most likely destination for a 28-year-old forward who began his career at St Andrews.
Now, Give Me Sport do make a point of highlighting that the Al-Ettifaq bosses have been impressed by Gray’s ‘attitude and sharpness’. However, with the Jamaica international available for around £8 million, his miserable return in the final third probably goes a long way to explaining why Sunderland are leaving Gray by the wayside en route to more attractive options.
In 24 Saudi Pro League appearances last season, Gray managed neither a single goal nor a single assist.
To quote EttiVoice on X, these are ‘historically and shockingly negative’ numbers.
EttiVoice even claim that Gray is the first foreign player in Al-Ettifaq’s 80-year history to play more than 1,500 minutes without mustering a single goal contribution in league action.
When you consider the standard of Saudi Arabian football, there is very little excuse for such miserable statistics. Especially when factoring in the Saudi success stories of Georges-Kevin N’Koudou, Steven Bergwijn and Musa Barrow. A trio of players who struggled in England but registered double-figures for goals last term in the Middle East.
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Many pundits have argued, as Sunderland consider re-signing Jordan Henderson from Ajax, that this is a Black Cats squad crying out for an injection of Premier League experience. Demarai Gray would tick that box, certainly, but maybe few others.
“We’re always trying to get the balance right between being prepared for whichever league you might be in and we’ve tried to do that,” sporting director Kristjaan Speakman said this week.
“Naturally, as a play-off winning team, you’re behind where other clubs might be, but we’re fast-tracking that and catching up. We’re looking to improve and build a team that is capable of staying in the Premier League. I think the objective is fairly clear.”
Sunderland have been tipped to target Jamie Vardy – the evergreen 38-year-old Leicester City icon – while Arsenal legend Perry Groves believes the Black Cats should target Michael Keane once he leaves Everton on a free transfer.
“Everyone will point to the statistics as to how difficult it is to stay in the Premier League, and we’re fully aware of that,” adds Speakman, each of the last six newly-promoted teams going straight back down.
“We’re not naive. Our strategy in getting to the Premier League and the solutions we needed, to the ones we need to stay there, will be different. That’s work we’re doing at the minute but ultimately, we’re going to stick to our values.
“We need to have a team that the community and city is proud of. We’ve built that in the current team and we have to have that in the Premier League.”