Ex-Sunderland striker claims current Black Cat does not have enough 'class to play in the Championship'

Former Sunderland striker Marco Gabbiadini has suggested that current Black Cats talent Nazariy Rusyn doesn’t possess the “class to play in the Championship”.

The Ukrainian arrived on Wearside during the summer transfer window in 2023, but has struggled to make a consistent impact on the first team picture at the Stadium of Light in the time since, and has been limited to just 32 appearances across all competitions, scoring two goals in the process.

This season specifically, Rusyn has registered just 66 minutes of Championship football across eight cameo outings, with his only start coming against Preston North End in the Carabao Cup back in August. And with the 26-year-old having played just two minutes since the beginning of October, Gabbiadini has questioned whether he boasts enough quality to make any kind of meaningful impression on the second tier.

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Speaking on Total Sport, the pundit said: “He [Rusyn] came on in games and tried to ruffle a few feathers, but I don’t think he quite has the class to play in the Championship. It’s a tough league and you’ve got to have something about you. I’m not sure if he’s quite got it at that level.”

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Rusyn has been at the centre of widespread exit speculation in recent weeks. On Wednesday, Zorya Londonsk reported that the forward has already passed up on one opportunity to leave Sunderland this month. According to the outlet, Aberdeen were “eager and quite close” to signing the 26-year-old on loan, but a deal ultimately fell through after the player himself rejected the move. It is also stated that the attacker is “currently considering other options”.

In that regard, Rusyn has also been linked with a return to his home country. Earlier in January, it was reported that Ukrainian side FC LNZ Cherkasy were in “talks” over a prospective transfer, with Cherkasy’s new manager, Roman Hryhorchuk having previously worked with Rusyn during a shared stint at Chornomorets in 2022. Back in December, it was also reported that both LNZ Cherkasy and Ukrainian rivals FC Metalist 1925 Kharkiv were keen on offering the player an escape route from his ongoing Wearside limbo.

In a recent press conference, Sunderland head coach Regis Le Bris addressed Rusyn’s future, stating: “It is possible something could happen there [with regards to a transfer]. We are having many conversations at the minute about his journey and the options we could find for him. As I have said before, it is very important to combine the two ideas – the purpose of the club and the team, and the purpose of the player.

“Sometimes, some of the players need minutes, and I think, for him, it could be a good opportunity to do something different. I don’t know at the minute whether it will be a loan or a permanent, because it is too early to say.”