Sunderland scouting 19-year-old South American winger - report

Are Sunderland hoping to repeat the Jewison Bennette trick?

Sunderland have again been linked with a move for teenage Chilean winger Paolo Guajardo, although competition appears fierce for him.

The Black Cats have been casting their net far and wide for talent, and they have already dipped into a similar market to sign Costa Rican Jewison Bennette.

Guajardo is a player in the same mould and, according to reports in Chile, have sent scouts to Santiago Wanderers to watch him in action.

However, if Sunderland’s interest is genuine then they will have fight off interest from the ‘big three’ in Chilean football of Universidad Católica, Colo Colo and Universidad de Chile. Meanwhile, MLS side Chicago Fire are also supposedly interested.

In many ways it is one of those transfer rumours that doesn’t appear to have much at all behind it, but then you also wonder why anyone would make it up.

It’s actually quite similar to the Bennette deal in that regard: A random teenage player from a distant league suddenly linked with Sunderland. Of course, that one turned out to be true, so it’s worth at least keeping an eye on this one as well.

Sunderland do seem to be very keen to explore this market, with director David Jones confirming as much at a recent Red and White Army meeting.

“Stuart Harvey (Sunderland’s head of recruitment) is an absolute diamond of a bloke,” Jones said. “I look forward to having a conversation about which little Costa Rican he’s going to bring to the club next!”

Paolo Guajardo is obviously not Costa Rican, but the similarities remain. 

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