EXCLUSIVE: Sunderland eyeing J-League hotshot to solve striker woes

Highly-rated Japanese youngster Mao Hosoya has emerged as a Sunderland target ahead of the January transfer window.

Sunderland are taking a keen interest in Japanese international Mao Hosoya ahead of the January transfer window, Sunderland Nation can exclusively reveal.

The 22-year-old is considered one of the top prospects in his homeland and has matured into a consistent goalscorer, bagging 17 goals in 41 games in all competitions for Kashiwa Reysol this year.

That has coincided with an international breakthrough which has seen him called up to the senior Japanese squad following a prolific record for the under-21s.

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He got off the mark internationally with a goal against Syria in November, and he looks likely to be included in the Japan squad for the upcoming Asia Cup.

That could prove potentially problematic for Sunderland and would mean they would need to get any deal done early in the month before he joined up with the squad in Qatar.

He has certainly caught the eye of Sunderland’s recruitment team, though, as they search for a replacement for Ross Stewart who left for Southampton on deadline day.

Hosoya is regarded as a very mobile and ‘fox in the box’ type striker rather than the winger/striker hybrids Sunderland have signed before, such as Nazariy Rusyn and Eliezer Mayenda.

Sunderland will certainly be actively searching for a new striker in January, although they remain highly unlikely to spend big on established and experienced names. 

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