Who is Sunderland target Nectarios Triantis?
Sunderland are reportedly on the verge of completing a deal for Australian defender Nectarios Triantis as they continue to scour the world for emerging talent.
A report from beIN Sport claims a fee of around £265,000 has been agreed for the centre-back, who is about to enter the final year of his contract at Central Coast Mariners.
With Jobe Bellingham close to joining and Portuguese striker Luis Semedo also heavily linked, it is becoming clear that Sunderland have done significant work over the last few months on summer arrivals, allowing them to act quickly following the conclusion of the Championship season.
Just who is Nectarios Triantis, though?
Who is Nectarios Triantis?
To say he is a surprise emergence in the A-League this season would do him – and Mariners boss Nick Montgomery a disservice. However, it’s probably fair to say it has been a surprise for Sydney FC and Western Sydney Wanderers.
Both clubs released him, although he did make one appearance for Wanderers.
This season has been a real breakout year for him, though. Triantis played 24 times for Mariners and has immediately caught the eye. That has brought him to the attention of a host of clubs around Europe and it is easy to see why.
Standing at 6’2” and just 20-years-old, he has the physical stature to thrive in Europe as well as the time to significantly develop his game.
What kind of a player is Nectarios Triantis?
Triantis is a centre-back but has developed a reputation in Australia for his intelligent use of the ball as much as anything else.
Right from his first appearance, he started playing raking passes from the back, often releasing grateful forwards into space behind the opposition.
However, it is not just his long passing that is an asset but his shorter range too. He has become a reliable user of the ball, particularly when it comes to final third entries.
That also makes him a very useful asset in terms of beating an opposition high press given he is able to progress the ball up their field so accurately from the back.
Defending is always a lot less eye-catching in general, especially when it comes to leagues where the attacking talent is not necessarily all that respected, although he appears to be impressing.
In terms of defending, Target Scouting say of him:
Triantis is a fantastic 1v1 defender. He does not get dribbled past very often. He is very good at winning the ball back and at shepherding opponents away from dangerous areas.
He is quite tall (how tall exactly is hard to say because they just hate giving that information out in Australia) and he uses his length quite effectively when defending. He is fairly aggressive, regularly making defensive interventions higher up the field.
He rarely gets burned in these situations, demonstrating good situational awareness.
While it is not entirely easy to learn too much from what is ultimately a limited number of games, it’s noteworthy that he did make the PFA A-League Team of the Season in 2022/23.
Triantis at international level
The defender is yet to make his debut at full international level, although he has become a regular part of the Australian under-20 set-up.
That saw him represent the Socceroos at the Under 20s Asia Cup this year, and it is felt that a senior call-up in the near future is inevitable.
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