Inside Sunderland's first January transfer move and what it tells us about where things stand

One, that Carl Winchester had made a significant impression in his two-and-a-half year spell, a 'quiet leader' whose performances were crucial in their push towards the top of the League Two table.

Two, that they are surprised it has taken this long for someone to notice.

Manager Mark Cooper has been saying since February that he is amazed the 27-year-old isn't playing in the Championship.

He arrives on Wearside with plenty to prove, the first signing not just of the Lee Johnson era, but also of the Kristjaan Speakman era.

It may not be the most-eye catching deal at first glance, but it's one that tells us plenty about where Sunderland find themselves right now, and where they are headed in the longer term.Sunderland's new approach to recruitment will see 'profiles' created for each position in the system, with targets then drawn up from both traditional scouting and also extensive data analysis.

At that stage (at least in future), the head coach then comes in to assess who the Black Cats will move for.

In Winchester's case, the midfielder brings a welcome versatility and in all likelihood, he will be comfortable playing in any of three central midfield roles available in Johnson's current 4-3-3 shape.

That versatility is a key part of the signing.

The Northern Irishman has even played right back in the past and that kind of willingness and ability to adapt within games is an attribute highly valued, particularly when a punishing fixture schedule lies on the horizon.

Take Tuesday night, for example, when injuries forced Max Power to drop in on the right of defence. The midfielder coped admirably and almost yielded an assist with a low cross from the byline. The more players like that the better; this season more than ever.

Primarily, though, Winchester is viewed as a natural in what is perhaps best described as the 'six' position in the current system.

Grant Leadbitter has excelled for Sunderland this season, almost ever-present since that commanding display at Oxford United announced his arrival as a force to be reckoned with this season.

At the moment, though, there's no real cover for that profile and position, the sheer volume of games ahead making that a concern.

Both Power and George Dobson have played the holding midfield role in the past, but the former is more comfortable elsewhere and having not featured in recent squads, the latter seems to have an uncertain future.

Winchester is a far more natural fit.

He has dictated the play for Forest Green for some time, explaining why his passing attributes will have put him high on the list of potential options when Sunderland went through their data analysis and statistics.It helps, too, that Winchester is a player Johnson knows well from their time together at Oldham Athletic.

The emphasis on data analysis reflects the new era at Sunderland but this also comes with heavy caveats.

Johnson and Speakman have big ideas for the future but to say they are setting off from a standing start would be an understatement.

In the future, Johnson and Speakman will settle on final targets after extensive work from the recruitment department, led by a head of player recruitment.

Right now, they have neither.

Johnson laid this out in detail last week, saying: "We've been left with no recruitment department, no historic lists, nothing has been left behind so we are doing everything from scratch, obviously utilising our knowledge from our previous clubs and contacts."

Rebuilding the club in these areas is a priority for both, and a key task for incoming owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus.

For now, Speakman has already outlined how it means in the short-term, Johnson will have a bigger role in each signing from the very earliest stages of the process.

That Winchester is a player whose character and attributes he understands reduces the risk significantly.

Put simply, there is a level of knowledge around the player that is difficult to obtain until Sunderland's recruitment department gets to where it needs to be.

That Winchester had six months left on his current deal was also very obviously another key factor, bringing him into range financially.

Johnson is limited both by the strict salary cap rules Sunderland are battling this month, and also the ongoing uncertainty at boardroom level.

Winchester, then, is a rare player who ticks all four of his boxes: "Affordable, accessible, available and match fit."After watching his side draw 1-1 with Hull City, Johnson said that he would look for a 'different dynamic' in one area of the pitch after Winchester's arrival was confirmed.

He would not be drawn further, but it seems increasingly clear that he believes an addition in the final third will be crucial to his side's short-term prospects.

The issue is that creating room within the confusing salary cap rules will not be easy, with Sunderland having plenty of bodies, if not players in form.

There are U21 options being assessed for a potential loan, but unproven talent brings obvious risk.

Sunderland's attacking shortcomings have been increasingly clear in recent weeks, and it's the business in that department that will ultimately define this window.

Winchester's role will be to try and help by bringing that added creativity from deep, replicating Leadbitter's influence when he plays.

It's a conundrum generally Johnson is still weighing up.

After an early win at Oldham, the head coach noted that his preferred midfield three (Leadbitter, Scowen and Power) perhaps lacked some natural creativity, but also brought a resilience and physicality key for this division.

The three roles were described as a ‘six’, ‘eight’ and a ‘ten’. A natural in the latter position, it feels as if Sunderland are still searching for.

Watching the recent draws, it's hard not to feel Winchester will need to try and help redress the balance somewhat.

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