An update has emerged about defender Eric Lichaj, regarding Sunderland's interest in his services.
What's the talk?
According to the Sun journalist Alan Nixon, Sunderland are considering a swoop to sign free agent defender Eric Lichaj to bolster Lee Johnson's squad this summer.
Nixon has claimed that the Black Cats could open talks with the full-back this week as they explore the possibility of signing the out-of-contract veteran. Lichaj left Turkish side Karagumruk last week and is now free to speak with any interested clubs.
He won't cost a penny
Johnson must ensure that he is able to seal a deal for Lichaj in the coming weeks. Sunderland are in desperate need of a right-back following Max Power's departure to Wigan and the ex-Aston Villa man could be the ideal solution to their problems. He ticks a few boxes for the Black Cats; he had experience, quality and comes at a low price.
For starters, the money Sunderland will need to pay to bring him to the club will be minimal. He is out of contract and that means the club will be able to avoid lavishing out on a transfer fee as they do not need to negotiate with another side to secure his services. Therefore, from a financial point of view, this could be a shrewd deal for Kristjaan Speakman.
Secondly, he has the quality required to be a solid addition to the team. Whilst at Nottingham Forest, Mark Warburton hailed Lichaj as an “outstanding” defender and explained why he picked the American to play for his side in the Championship.
"Eric is an outstanding one-v-one defender."
Lichaj was good enough to put in excellent performances in the second tier, which could mean that he is able to thrive at League One level. He may not be able to provide exciting, lung-bursting, runs from the full-back position but he could be a lockdown defender who is able to protect the goal and help Sunderland to keep clean sheets.
The £9.3k-per-week beast is also vastly experienced. He has over 250 Championship games under his belt and has played in the Turkish top-flight as well as the Premier League.
He could bring experience to the dressing room and potentially, be a major help to the younger players in the squad if Sunderland secure promotion to the second tier, as he knows exactly what is required to perform at that level.
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