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Sunderland signing this highly-rated 17-year-old prodigy would be a big step in the right direction

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Sunderland opinion: Should Sunderland make a move for Kevin Berkoe?

While Sunderland do sit third in the League One table, they need to add a few new players in the summer window. However, with the club losing Josh Maja in the winter transfer window, Sunderland have to search for options.

Ruben Summut has been on trial at the club over the last two weeks and while he has been making an impression, Sammut has yet to be offered a deal. But he isn’t the only young star on trial at the club, with the Sunderland Echo reporting that two young starlets have joined him.

This includes Andrea Borg and the highly-rated Wolverhampton Wanderers starlet Kevin Berkoe. While both Sammut and Borg would do very well at the Stadium of Light, it’s Berkoe that Sunderland need to make a move for. The Wolves youngster has played in every game this season for the U18s.

Image result for Kevin Berkoe

But despite that, Berkoe still remains a valuable prospect and the Birmingham Live has reported that the 17-year-old is close to getting a first-team deal. That’s something that needs to happen very soon for Sunderland given their situation.

While the club did let Josh Maja leave for Bordeaux, they also signed Will Griggs and added Kazaiah Sterling on loan to help bridge the gap. But now with manager Jack Ross looking for bargain options (Birmingham Live), Berkoe is someone who can be that player for the club.

A full-back by trade, the 17-year-old is more than capable of playing as a left wing-back, doing so for the U18. However, given that Berkoe is only 17 years old, the young full-back has a lot of room for improvement.

But what Sunderland can offer him is a relatively easier path to first-team football, as the Black Cats only have Bryan Oviedo, Reece James and Denver Hume as left-back options. Out of the three stars, Oviedo is 29 but has struggled to make an impact this season, while James is still adjusting to Jack Ross’ style of play after arriving in the summer.

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Berkoe, on the other hand, made his name at Chelsea as a young footballer before making the move to Wolves. Since then, the 17-year-old has come leaps and bounds as a footballer, which has attracted Sunderland.

Conclusion

However, while he did join Wolves for a better path towards first-team football, their success in the Premier League has changed that. Now it looks like Kevin Berkoe should move elsewhere and it should be Sunderland who have to make the first move. Otherwise, they will lose out on a young starlet who could be the answer to their defensive issues.