Gary Bennett names 'one concern' about Alexandre Mendy ahead of proposed Sunderland transfer

Former Sunderland captain Gary Bennett has urged the club to sign at least one striker between now and the end of the transfer window, but has admitted that he has some concerns over the speed at which primary target Alexandre Mendy will adapt to the English game.

The Caen centre forward has been linked with a move to Wearside for several weeks now, and has made no secret of his desire to leave his current club this summer. Earlier in the week, Mendy’s agent gave a statement to French outlet Foot Mercato in which he openly claimed that the 30-year-old is still actively seeking a switch to the Stadium of Light in the coming days.

He said: "Alex is still determined to join Sunderland, there are about ten days left, we will not give up, our determination is intact. We remain positive and we are counting on the new management [of Caen] to unblock this situation."

But while Bennett would welcome the arrival of a new attacking focal point, the BBC pundit has also warned that Mendy may struggle to hit the ground running.

Speaking to the Telegraph, he said: “They’ve got to sign a striker. They really need two. If you’re going to have a successful season in the Championship you need a goalscorer.

“You’re not always going to blow teams away like they did against Sheffield Wednesday. There will be tight games where you need someone to just put the ball in the back of the net, take a half-chance or score something out of nothing. Hopefully he [Mendy] will be that player, but you never know how long it is going to take a player from abroad to get up to speed in English football. That’s my one concern.”

Alongside Mendy, Sunderland are also understood to be pushing for the signing of Zenit St. Petersburg forward Wilson Isidor. On Tuesday, the Russian club’s CEO was quoted as suggesting that the 23-year-old Frenchman is “on his way” to Wearside, and The Echo understands that these claims are accurate.

Reports suggest that any agreement for the ex-Monaco star is likely to be a loan deal with an option to buy included.