Sunderland were very quiet in the January transfer window, which is a stark contrast to their wild spending in the summer.
Indeed, an outrageous £162m was spent last summer, before a ball was kicked to start the brand new Premier League season, and it was lavish spending that has since paid off, as Regis Le Bris' Black Cats are currently only five points off breaking into the illustrious top four positions in the division.
Premier League club spending summer 2025 (timeless)
Still, they weren't completely quiet throughout the entire window, with a last-gasp capture of Nilson Angulo being signed off on, after Sunderland parted ways with Simon Adingra to AS Monaco.
This could prove to be a smart piece of business, with the Ecuadorian import clearly an exciting talent to behold when looking at his blistering exploits for Anderlecht.
Why Sunderland splashed the cash on Angulo
Black Cats supporters might be somewhat bemused by Adingra already leaving the Stadium of Light, considering he was only purchased during that aforementioned whirlwind window before the season got underway. But, in Angulo, Le Bris and Co. have won an explosive replacement, ready to cause Premier League defences havoc, based on his glittering highlight reels for Anderlecht.
Unfortunately, the former Brighton and Hove Albion man just hasn't been consistent enough for Le Bris' side; on the other hand, when others have dazzled, with only one goal and assist next to his name from 14 Premier League outings on Wearside.
On the flip side, Angulo, when plying his trade in Belgium, has been a force to be reckoned with so far this season, with a stunning seven goals and eight assists next to his name overall, from 30 outings in all competitions.
Noted as being a talent that "will get bums off seats" by Belgian football podcaster Scott Coyne on his arrival to the Premier League, Sunderland will feel they have struck gold being able to snap up the tricky South American last-minute for around the £17.5m mark.
nilson-angulo
The pacey 22-year-old will hope he can make an immediate impact for his new side against Arsenal later today, if Le Bris judges him ready for action, with the exhilarating arrival of the brand new number ten perhaps spelling the end for this reserve figure at the Stadium of Light, sadly.
The "frightening" star who could now be finished
A large portion of Sunderland's promotion heroes have found out the hard way this season that they're not cut out for the bright lights of the Premier League.
Both Dan Neil and Anthony Patterson last campaign notched up 93 league appearances between them, as top-flight action returned to Wearside. Yet, they are both now competing back in the Championship with Ipswich Town and Millwall, respectively, with Romaine Mundle surely also edging ever closer to the exit door, after Angulo's statement addition.
Mundle did play his part in securing the promotion as well, with this late curled effort finding the back of the net against Luton Town last February, just one of seven goal contributions he tallied up last campaign.
But, this season, he has only been picked for a slim 445 minutes of Premier League action, with his struggles to adapt to the very pinnacle of English football clear for all to see against West Ham United last month, when he lost possession a hefty seven times, from only 17 touches of the ball.
Mundle's decreasing minutes at Sunderland
Stat - per 90 mins*
Games played
Games started
Minutes played
Average minutes*
Goals scored
Assists
More starts like the one that was handed to him at the London Stadium could be very irregular now that Angulo has walked into the building, with the Ecuador international standing out as a real menace for Jupiler Pro League defences to handle - unlike Mundle continually fluffing his lines in the top-flight - as seen in him completing a mazey three dribbles across his closing three league encounters at the Constant Vanden Stock Stadium, while also putting away two strikes versus Genk.
Ultimately, Mundle must be wishing now that Sunderland allowed him to leave for Rangers during the closing hours of the window, with journalist Josh Bunting noting that the ex-Tottenham Hotspur youngster would have been a "frightening" prospect to watch in Glasgow.
romaine-mundle-sunderland-everton
Instead, he'll just have to continue making do with a bit-part role in Sunderland's ongoing Premier League tale, with Angulo potentially becoming a main character, at his expense.
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