Sunderland transfer deadline day: Five names to keep your eye on
Ah January deadline day. It’s one of those days staff at clubs hate yet fans seem to love. This year, Sunderland fans will likely be more glued to events than usual.
The January window was supposed to be a quiet one for Sunderland. Targeted, specific deals and not many of them were predicted by Kristjaan Speakman. When is it ever that simple, though?
The serious injuries to key players Ross Stewart and Corry Evans, as well as Ellis Simms’ early recall by Everton, complicated things dramatically.
Three signings, Pierre Ekwah (free), Isaac Lihadji (free) and Joe Gelhardt (loan) are already through the door, but there still feels like there is an awful lot of work to be done.
So, here are a few names Sunderland fans might want to keep an eye on throughout deadline day.
Joe Anderson
It looks certain that Sunderland’s deadline day business will start with the unveiling of Joe Anderson.
The centre-back, who will turn 22-years-old next week, was in Sunderland on Monday for a medical and has already taken to social media to say his goodbyes to Everton.
It (hopefully) won’t be the most eye-catching piece of business Sunderland complete on the day, but it could prove to be a very astute signing nonetheless.
Ellis Simms
While Joe Anderson will be very welcome on Wearside, it’s fair to say most eyes will be on another Everton youngster.
There is no question that Simms is Sunderland’s top target to replace the injured Ross Stewart and no one needs us to tell them why.
Not only has be proven he can score goals in the Championship, but he knows the club well and would not need any time to settle in.
Everton are believed to be open to letting Simms go, and only Sunderland can sign him due to FA rules restricting the number of clubs a player can represent in one season.
Everything will depend upon whether the Toffees can get a couple of strikers on themselves, though.
Sam Surridge
Sam Surridge was linked to Sunderland by Sky Sports earlier in the window, and on the face of it he would be a very astute signing.
He is tall, mobile, and still just 24-years-old. However, it will be a difficult deal to do.
For starters, he doesn’t seem all that keen on leaving Nottingham Forest, with him still determined to make a Premier League career for himself.
Newcastle might have done Sunderland a favour there, though. They have loaned Forest Chris Wood, who will make it tougher for Surridge to get a game. Taiwo Awoniyi, Emmanuel Dennis and Brennan Johnson are also ahead of him in the pecking order too.
Forest are still active themselves, and the reality is that some players will have to leave. They can only register 25 and already have a bloated squad. Surridge could well be a fall-guy there.
Of course, if Surridge is available, Sunderland are unlikely to be the only interested party.
Matthew Hoppe
One potential name to keep an eye on is Matthew Hoppe at Middlesbrough. The American was heavily linked with Sunderland in the summer before the Teesiders paid £3million for him.
He has barely played, though, and Middlesbrough are well-served in attack with Chuba Akpom, Cameron Archer and Matt Crooks all doing well right now.
Michael Carrick has admitted that Hoppe could leave on loan, although whether they would want to do Sunderland any favours is another matter entirely given both clubs are vying for the play-offs.
“It’s ifs, buts and maybes, really,” Carrick said. “That’s not about any individuals in particular, but as ever in a transfer window, some might come in and some might end up going out, either permanently or on loan. We’ll just have to wait and see how that goes.”
Just to be clear, we are not reporting Hoppe as a Sunderland target, just speculating going by past interest and current needs.
Josh Onomah
This one is very much speculation too, but Josh Onomah is definitely going to be an interesting name to keep an eye on no matter where he goes.
The fact is that Corry Evans is going to be incredibly hard to replace for Sunderland. They are looking for a central midfield player with experience, quality, pedigree and all without breaking the bank. There are not many of those around.
Onomah ticks a lot of those boxes. He is 25-years-old and has some real Championship pedigree having been promoted twice before and reaching another play-off final.
He also fits the model in terms of being a talented, formerly highly-touted youngster who has lost their way a little. A Patrick Roberts kind of situation, if you like.
Interestingly, he is also a client of CAA Base, the agency who represent a quartet of current Sunderland players, including Roberts. Anthony Patterson, Trai Hume and youngster Jospeh Ryder are the others.
Onomah is expected to agree a termination of his Fulham deal before the deadline, meaning he will be available on a free transfer.
To be fair, Omomah would not be a direct Evans replacement positionally. He is much more attacking my nature. Sunderland may decide to pass on the holding midfield responsibility to Dan Neil though and add another ‘number eight,’ as Tony Mowbray likes to call it, instead.
Again, he hasn't been linked, but just one to maybe watch.
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