Sunderland’s summer transfer plans will largely depend on whether they stay in League One or achieve promotion.End up in the Championship, and they will improve their chances of signing better talent.
What’s the word?
A remarkable return for Jermain Defoe has been touted in recent weeks but it’s another striker now at the centre of Sunderland’s attentions.
According to Football Insider, they are in a three-way tussle to sign St Johnstone’s Guy Melamed.
The Israeli only signed for the Scottish outfit back in October but his contract is set to expire at the end of the season. As a result, the Mackems could sign him on a free transfer.
They will face competition from Portsmouth and Ipswich as they battle to bring him south of the border.
Melamed currently earns just £1.2k-per-week in Scotland so his salary shouldn’t be too much of an issue.
A predatory force
There are plenty of uncertainties at Sunderland right now. Charlie Wyke is out of contract in the summer and if they fail to go up, he could be one of a number of players who choose to flee the nest.
Though, irrespective of whether Wyke leaves, the addition of Melamed would be a valuable one.
The 28-year-old is a tricky forward and has scored five goals and registered three assists in 15 outings this term, proving to be a real handful for defences.
Speaking about the striker after he netted a sensational goal against Hamilton, his manager Callum Davidson said: “You saw all game he was a danger in the box. It was an unbelievable touch and finish and we got what we deserved.â€
That was before the strike was compared to a certain Premier League legend by his teammate Craig Bryson: “I think people are maybe getting carried away when you compare players to Dennis Bergkamp. It was an incredible ball through from Liam Gordon, and just the way he controlled it and finished it was world-class.â€
Sunderland currently have Wyke to aim for aerially, but Melamed would give them something different. He is a more athletic forward, one that’s also capable of playing in wide areas.
With a player like Chris Maguire getting no younger and Jordan Jones heading back to Rangers, signing another attacking player makes sense. Melamed could just be that man.