Sunderland bolstered their attacking ranks on Tuesday when they confirmed the signing of free agent striker Aaron Connolly on a one-year deal.
The Republic of Ireland international has been without a club since leaving Hull City at the end of last season, and joins the likes of Eliezer Mayenda, Wilson Isidor, Nazariy Rusyn, and Ahmed Abdullahi amongst Regis Le Bris’ centre forward options.
In his first interview with the club, Connolly said: “I feel very privileged to sign for Sunderland. I have only been up here for a short while, but it’s easy to see what this Club means to people and the atmosphere on Saturday showed that. I want to represent that in the right way and pay back the faith the Club has placed in me by playing well and doing what I love more than anything, which is scoring goals. I’m ready to move forward with my career after facing some challenges in recent times and I fully understand the huge opportunity I have ahead of me.”
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Meanwhile, addressing the 24-year-old’s arrival on Wearside, Black Cats sporting director Kristjaan Speakman added: “Aaron needs an opportunity to re-establish himself and to reset the perception of him as a professional athlete. It wasn’t long ago that he was scoring goals in the Premier League and playing for his national team, but he has suffered some setbacks. We all handle challenges differently and when it comes to responding, sometimes we don’t get it right immediately.
“At Sunderland, he’ll have the environment and support to perform and an opportunity to showcase his ability. It’s an important 17-game period following the next international break and we believe Aaron can add value to our squad during that period. We look forward to helping him settle and supporting him in that process.”
And all eyes will now be on Speakman as the January window approaches. If Connolly’s arrival works out well, then there could be a good chance that Sunderland will not move to sign another striker this winter. And that got us thinking about all of the targets that came and went over the course of a fraught summer of speculation.
So, with that in mind, here is every striker acquisition that the Black Cats were linked with and a lowdown on how well they have performed in front of goal so far this season. Check out our full gallery below...
9. Eliezer Mayenda - 2 goals
An eye-catching start to the season was curtailed somewhat by injury, but Mayenda still has two goals and two assists to his name so far. | Getty Images
10. Will Lankshear - 1 goal
The Tottenham youngster has made a couple of appearances in the Europa League so far this season, and netted in last week's 3-2 defeat to Galatasaray. | Getty Images
11. Ike Ugbo - 1 goal
Ugbo ended up rejoining Sheffield Wednesday following a successful loan spell with the Owls last season, but has endured a fairly slow start upon his return to Hillsborough. Just one goal and one assist in 17 appearances across all competitions, with both coming in the EFL Cup. At the time of writing, he is nought for 14 in the Championship. Photo: Steve Ellis
12. David Datro Fofana - 1 goal
Fofana saw a couple of prospective loan deals unravel before leaving Chelsea for Turkish outfit Goztepe, where he has dipped in output following an impressive start. One goal in six outings thus far, but none in his last four appearances. | Getty Images