A Scottish monster, a defensive colossus and the scorer of arguably the greatest Wear-Tyne derby goal of all-time, writes Joseph Ould.
When it comes to January transfer window signings making an impact at Sunderland, deadline day arrival Nilson Angulo has both inspiration and big boots to fill.
Angulo became the Black Cats’ third signing of this season’s winter window, following the arrivals of Jocelin Ta Bi and Melker Ellborg, when he landed from Anderlecht on Monday night. And the Ecuadorian winger’s stats at Anderlecht this season suggest he could hit the ground running on Wearside. Here, we rate the five best Sunderland January signings of all time.
Lamine Kone
At the start of 2016, Sunderland were in relegation trouble. Manager Sam Allardyce was in dire need of reinforcements to help out his struggling side and got just what he was looking for. Lamine Kone, Wahbi Khazri and Jan Kirchhoff were all brilliant additions to the Black Cats, with all three making instant impacts. But centre-back Kone’s contribution just eclipsed those of his fellow January arrivals, with the big Ivorian perhaps the ultimate key to Sunderland’s eventual Premier League survival.
Striking up an excellent partnership with Younes Kaboul, Kone provided some much-needed defensive solidity to Allardyce’s side. Then there were his two goals against Everton in the penultimate game of the season, which not only secured Sunderland’s Premier League status for another season, but relegated rivals Newcastle.
Ultimately, Kone’s Sunderland career then turned sour with the defender never re-discovering the form he showed in his first five months at the club, before forcing a move away after relegation to the Championship. But in terms of short-term impact, few could have done more.
Stephane Sessegnon
In terms of technical ability, few Sunderland players have come close to the quality of Sessegnon. The January window of 2011 saw Sunderland make him the first ever player from Benin to play in the Premier League as he completed a £6m move from PSG. The Sunderland faithful instantly took to Sessegnon, with his quick feet dazzling the Stadium of Light.
His goal away at QPR highlighted the talent Sunderland had on their hands, as he sold a sumptuous dummy to the Rangers keeper before slotting home into an empty net. Sessegnon was a fine player in red and white and fans were left baffled when he was moved on to West Brom in September 2013.
Ross Stewart
When Sunderland signed a relatively unknown Ross County forward in the January of 2021 for £300,000, few could have anticipated just how big an impact he would make. So big, that Ross Stewart became better known by arguably the greatest nickname in modern-day football.
Stewart initially had to bide his time on Wearside, playing second fiddle to an in-form Charlie Wyke. But it wasn’t long before the Scotsman made his mark. Following Wyke’s 2021 summer departure, Stewart got the opportunity to be Sunderland’s main man at the top of the pitch. To say he made the most of his chance would be an understatement.
The “Loch Ness Drogba” fired in 24 goals in the subsequent League One season as Sunderland reached the play-offs for the third time in four painstakingly long seasons in the third tier. But his finest moment was still to come. Stewart scored the second goal in a 2-0 play-off final victory against Wycombe, ending the League One misery for the Mackems and cementing himself in club folklore.
Injuries appear to have robbed Stewart of what could have been his prime goal-getting years, with an achilles problem cutting short his 2022-23 season at Sunderland and continuing to dog him after a move to Southampton. But his role in Sunderland’s renaissance will never be forgotten.
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Enzo Le Fee
In January 2024, Sunderland somehow convinced Le Fee to swap Roma for Championship football, with the Frenchman moving on an initial half-season loan. Le Fee’s quality was obvious from the off, with his stand-out display in the second tier coming at the Riverside Stadium as he ran Middlesbrough’s Luke Ayling ragged in an emphatic derby win. Following Sunderland’s promotion back to the Premier League, Le Fee’s move was made permanent.
The French midfielder has been sensational for Regis Le Bris this season, taking his game to a whole new level in the top division, cementing himself as a fans’ favourite in red and white. Coupling technical excellence with ferocious tenacity, Le Fee could yet prove to be Sunderland’s finest ever January addition should he continue on his current path. But, for now, he has to settle for number two on the list.
Jermain Defoe
Top spot in the roll call of Sunderland’s greatest mid-season signings can only go to one man. When rumours of a swap deal between struggling Black Cats striker Jozy Altidore and Premier League icon Defoe – then at Toronto FC in MLS - surfaced in January 2015, it was a deal that seemed far too good to be true.
However, the deal was soon done, with Altidore – one goal in 42 appearances in red and white – somehow exchanged for a man with 125 Premier League goals. Within four months of his arrival, Defoe had written his name in North East football folklore by scoring “that” volley in a 1-0 Sunderland victory over Newcastle at the Stadium of Light.
Defoe continued to score with regularity on Wearside, with his 15 goals in the 2015-16 season proving the difference in Sunderland’s dramatic survival campaign. With 34 goals in less than two-and-a-half initial years at Sunderland, Defoe is the second highest Premier League scorer in the Black Cats’ history.
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