Sunderland striker situation: Who it won't be, who it might be and what the club want

Let's try to piece together what we know about Sunderland's attempts to sign a new striker this month.

Doesn’t time fly when your club is desperate for a striker in January? We are already more than a week into the window and Sunderland still only have one striker.

While the situation isn’t yet panic-invoking given Ross Stewart is fit and scoring goals, it’s far from ideal wither.

So what do we know about the Sunderland striker situation and where it currently stands?

What are the club looking for?

Since Ellis Simms left Sunderland have been quite open about what they are looking for in a new striker.

According to manager Tony Mowbray, it’s an ‘out-and-out number nine’ they want, and you’d think that would mean someone who could play with their back to goal as a lone forward and focal point for the attack.

"We'd like one in as soon as possible really, we need reinforcements as Ross is our only out-and-out striker," Mowbray has said.

"Some clubs... when you've got a big striker who you look to for goals, some are happy to do that and not have someone really vying with them for starts.

"It's pretty unlikely that we'll go and splash millions and millions on a big name centre-forward. I think we need a young guy, like Ellis Simms, who can come in and compete and know that he's learning off Ross. Some days we will play two up front, some days he might come on from the bench.

"I think that's what we're looking for really, someone who can come in and support our centre-forward who at the moment, scores every time he goes on the pitch.”

Mowbray has also suggested that Sunderland are hopeful of signing two strikers this month, saying: "It might be another loan but there also some other discussions around a young striker on a permanent basis.

“The club are working hard and it's good that the team are competing at the right end of the table - it gives us a chance to invest when the team are doing rather than scrambling.”

Who it probably won’t be

Given the criteria mentioned by the club, it seems unlikely to be Jonson Clarke-Harris. Sunderland sent scouts to watch the Peterborough man on New Year’s Day, and Mowbray is an admirer of the player.

However, he is nearly 29 so is neither young or going to be available on loan, so it’s likely he is some way down the list as a contingency option.

It also isn’t going to be Nathan Broadhead. The Welshman left a very positive impression on Sunderland fans after a fine loan spell last season, but the club believe he is below the level they now aspire to. He has left Wigan, though, but only to join League One Ipswich in a £1.5million deal.

Sam Surridge is another name linked, but he has reportedly decided to fight for his spot at Nottingham Forest instead.

Surridge missed a succession of great chances in a rare start for Forest in their 4-1 FA Cup hammering at Blackpool, but boss Steve Cooper seems happy to keep him around too.

“We know what Sam gives us,” Cooper said before the game. “He would like to start more games. But what he is doing is keeping his head down, working hard and staying ready.

“We love Sam. He is so popular around the training ground. He’s a fantastic professional. Everyone is really fond of him.

“The fans will know how important he has been for us. We really enjoy working with Sam. We enjoy having him here.”

Blackpool striker Jerry Yates has also been linked, but that always felt like a non-starter.

Who it might be

These days the club run a very tight ship when it comes to signings and targets, so it will probably be someone who has not previously been linked.

When Aji Alese signed from West Ham in the summer, for example, there had not even been so much as a whisper in the press.

There have been a couple of young Premier League strikers who have been made available this week that may catch Sunderland’s eye, though.

Leeds are closing in on a club record deal for Hoffenheim’s Georginio Rutter, and that will see them loan Joe Gelhardt, according to Phil Hay of the Athletic.

Meanwhile, Manchester United have apparently decided to loan out Charlie McNeill. Sunderland have an existing relationship with Man Utd due to the success of Amad Diallo’s move last summer, so the Red Devils would likely be keen to work with Sunderland again.

Although Premier League rules are that you can only sign one player on loan from another club, in the EFL it is different.

The rules state: “No Club may sign more than 4 Players on a Temporary Loan Transfer from another Club (or club) in any Season, of which no more than 2 Players may be over the age of 23.”

Comments from Mowbray also suggest that the permanent target, at least, will be from a foreign league too. 

There is a good chance that they will try to repeat the trick that worked so well with Ross Stewart of signing a forward in January, easing him in a bit-part role for the rest of the season, then elevating him the following season. That would certainly work well in conjuncture with a Premier League loan for the remainder of the season. 

Could Ellis Simms come back?

There seems like a very strong possibility that Sunderland will bide their time and wait for Ellis Simms to return on loan. That shouldn’t stop them looking for the young striker on a permanent deal that Mowbray mentioned in the meantime, of course.

Simms couldn’t play for any other club this season due to the two-club rule, so reports linking him with a permanent move to Blackburn as part of a deal for Ben Brereton Diaz are non-starters.

It is pretty clear Everton are not going to use Simms much, so unless something drastic happens they will be left with the choice of loaning him back to Sunderland or stumping his development. It seems unlikely they will take the latter.

Sunderland have already said they will be looking at the Simms situation later in January, with Speakman telling the club’s YouTube channel: “If there's an opportunity for Ellis to come back then that's something we're open to.

“The situation at Everton where by he's played means that, through the two club rule, he can only play for us or Everton [this season].

“So it's going to be an interesting conversation at some point in January on whether that's a possibility.”

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