Whisper it, but Sunderland might actually have a number of viable striker options at their disposal heading into their clash with Hull City this weekend.
The Black Cats’ cohort of free agents may cut a relatively unorthodox group - one teenager, one loanee who seems just as comfortable playing out on the left wing, and one free agent acquisition - but there is no getting away from the fact that between them, Eliezer Mayenda, Wilson Isidor, and Aaron Connolly are looking pretty dangerous.
For his part, Mayenda has two goals so far this season, and was flying high before an untimely injury took him out of the starting XI. His replacement, Isidor, then proceeded to score two in his first two starts in red and white, while Connolly currently boasts a tally of three in two for the U21s, and may finally be ready to make his debut for the first team against his old club.
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Speaking after Connolly’s midweek brace against Huddersfield Town, U21s coach Graeme Murty said: “He’s been really good with the group and to work with. He’s really good at making sure he’s vocal and communicates with the young players.
“He leads by example, gives them advice but he’s also not shy about getting after people if they’re below the standard, and that’s good. He’s a very, very good finisher and we see that in training as well. He was disappointed to come off, he was supposed to come off at 60 and ended up coming off at 70 - he wanted to stay on. It’s brilliant for us and a great example for the young players.”
But how are Sunderland’s strikers measuring up compared to the glut of names the Black Cats were linked with over the summer? We’ve taken a closer look at every player that was touted for a move to the Stadium of Light and assessed their respective starts to the new campaign below...
1. Alexandre Mendy - 7 goals
Mendy made no secret of his desire to move to Wearside over the summer, but his move failed to materialise and he has since been reintegrated back into the first team picture at SM Caen. The disappointment seemingly hasn't affected him either. He now has seven goals in 11 matches this term, at a rate of one every 129 minutes. | AFP via Getty Images
2. Tom Cannon - 7 goals
Cannon was a late, relatively big money target for the Black Cats, but instead he joined Stoke City on loan. Endured a slow start, but has exploded into life in recent weeks, and now has seven strikes in 13 outings across all competitions. | Getty Images
3. Wilson Isidor - 7 goals
The Frenchman has been a real hit on Wearside so far, scoring five goals in 12 Championship appearances. Add those to the couple of strikes he registered in Russia before signing for Sunderland, and he is as prolific as anybody on this list. | Frank Reid
4. Dane Scarlett - 3 goals
The Tottenham striker was briefly linked with Sunderland over the summer, but ultimately ended up sealing a loan move to Oxford United. After a slow start, he has found some form in recent weeks, and has three goals in 12 outings across all competitions at a rate of one every 157 minutes. | AFP via Getty Images