Ideal January Transfer Window For Sunderland
Sunderland’s display at Sheffield United, though not unexpected on these pages, was a timely reminder for new manager Chris Coleman and the club’s fans that despite a perceived upturn in fortunes, they still possess one of the three or four worst squads in this division and are in real danger of going down to League One.
The club’s fall from grace has been stark and given their crippling debt, it doesn’t look like getting too much better in the near future or at least as far as Premier League promotion is concerned.
That said, if they raise some funds then they may attract some decent players and IFK Goteborg goalkeeper Pontus Dahlberg is one who is on the radar.
The solidity he would bring would be an immediate improvement, as would be Coleman’s pal from his Wales days, Joe Ledley, who is reportedly on his way out of Derby County given their transfer plans next month. He would indeed add plenty of quality and steel to the midfield.
Going forward they won’t have many options but aside from doing all they can to convince Bournemouth not to recall and then sell on-loan star striker Lewis Grabban, they may yet be able to convince West Ham United to recall and then sell winger Robert Snodgrass.
Scotland international Snodgrass didn’t fancy his time at the club under Slaven Bilic but may well want to come back to the north, making his current assignment at Aston Villa look less permanent.
To create the funds needed to get all of this done, Sunderland could do worse than agree to sell Lamine Kone to Everton for the reported amount of £10million. Chris Coleman has already stated publicly that the club are willing to let him go and frankly, in terms of bringing in ready cash, they have little other option.
They may ease the wage bill further by losing the regressing Jack Rodwell while for me, Lee Cattermole remains the same liability he has always been. So if the Ledley deal could be done, they could be forgiven for selling a defensive midfielder who shows very, very little quality and who quite frankly cannot (or will not) tackle properly.
Best outcome:
In: Joe Ledley (Derby County), Robert Snodgrass (West Ham United), Pontus Dahlberg (IFK Goteborg)
Out: Lamine Kone, Jack Rodwell, Lee Cattermole
Keep: Lewis Grabban
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