Sunderland kicked off their 2022/23 Championship campaign with a 1-1 draw with Coventry at the Stadium of Light last weekend.

The hosts took the lead through Jack Clarke early on as he rose unmarked at the back post to nod the ball into an empty net after the goalkeeper lost his bearings in the box.

Alex Neil's men were pegged back near the end of the match, though, as the visitors piled on the pressure to secure an equaliser.

After the draw with Coventry, Neil admitted that the Black Cats are looking for a number of new signings to bolster their squad so that they have the strength in depth that their rivals have.

He told the Sunderland Echo: "We've still got four, potentially five that we want to bring in before the window ends.
"We need to make sure the squad is competitive and not only that, they brought four or five really fresh lads on who know the level, and that can really make a difference.
"I think what you could see today is that it was a step up in intensity. I thought towards the end of the game our lads were dead on their feet, it really is difficult. Normally we score a goal in League One, the opposition gets a bit scared and they sink back into their shape. We control the ball and it's basically a case of when will the next goal come." One player the club have recently been linked with a move for is Everton attacker Nathan Broadhead, who spent the 2021/22 campaign on loan on Wearside. Journalist Josh Bunting dubbed him "sensational" for the Black Cats and the £2.9k-per-week gem's statistics back up that claim. He plundered an eye-catching ten goals in 15 League One starts for the club and he has the potential to form a dream duo with fellow Toffees man Ellis Simms. Broadhead is capable of playing out wide on the left or as a striker in a two and this means that he could play alongside Ross Stewart and the former Hearts loanee this season.
He has a pre-existing relationship with Simms as the pair played ten matches with each other for Everton at U23 level, which means that they could form an instant connection on the pitch. They could hit the ground running for the Black Cats and be a dynamic duo at the top end of the pitch, as both of them are capable of scoring at an impressive rate. Simms netted five times in 11 Premiership starts for Hearts last term and managed 10 goals in 19 starts on loan at Blackpool in League One the year prior to that. Now, imagine him and Broadhead lining up in the same Sunderland team this season. It is an exciting prospect because of their potential to score goals and their relationship on the pitch, which is why Kristjaan Speakman must get this move over the line to seal this dream duo.