Five recent transfers that show Sunderland January signings are worth the wait

Just ten days to go in January and still no transfer breakthrough, but no Sunderland fans should be panicking yet.

After 20 days of almost silence on the transfer front this January, is there a reason for optimism at Sunderland based on recent transfer windows?

Sunderland, from recent memory, have never been a team that do there transfer business early in the window. Most transfer windows it comes down to deadline day, leaving us fans impatiently refreshing Twitter all day.

Therefore, all is not lost. Here are five memorable transfers that Sunderland completed late in the January transfer window in the past two seasons to prove it.

5. Patrick Roberts (21st January)

Roberts signed late last January on a free transfer from Manchester City in 2022. Since then he has played 42 times in all competitions, scored five goals and got four assists for Sunderland - and generally delighted with his trickery on the ball. 

he also produced what might have been the moment of 2022 with his late goal at Hillsborough in the play-offs.

4. Jack Clarke (26th January)

Clarke joined Sunderland on an initial loan deal from Spurs last January before re-signing in the Summer. He has been a prominent feature in the Sunderland team over the past 12 month and, in his 47 appearances, he’s scored five goals and assisted a further 11.

He has definitely gone off the boil a little of late, but the quality is still there for all to see. 

3. Jermain Defoe (31st January)

Image Credit: MI News

Defoe returned to the club with much anticipation but his return to the club didn’t go as well as his first stint on Wearside. 

The popular striker only made two starts in his second spell with the club with a further five appearances from the bench, and retired before the conclusion of the season without a goal to his name.

It didn't turn out how we had hoped, but it made for an incredibly exciting deadline day at least. 

2. Jay Matete (31st January)

Matete arrived the same day as Defoe, with the young midfielder rumoured to have turned down Championship clubs to join Sunderland. Matete loves a tackle and has played 25 times for the lads and been shown 11 yellow cards in his time at the club to prove it. 

He was loaned out to Plymouth earlier in the window, but remains firmly in Sunderland's plans for the future.

1. Ross Stewart (31st January)

Image Credit: MI News

Stewart signed for Sunderland 24 months ago and has gone from strength to strength in red and white. 

The ‘Loch-ness Drogba’ was acquired in the January of 2021 from Ross County for a fee in the region of just £300,000, which has proven to be an absolute steal. 

Since signing Stewart has played for the club 78 times and scored 39 goals and has registered eight assists too. 

This season has been tough for Stewart due to a thigh injury suffered in early September. That has restricted him to just 13 appearances, but he has still plundered 10 goals.

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