Inside Sunderland's Nathan Broadhead transfer setback after Everton striker joins Wigan - and what happens next

Sunderland would not have been promoted last season without him.

Sure, he was merely one of many players who made an important contribution and some serious hamstring injuries meant he spent significant spells on the sidelines.

His interventions, though, were invariably important ones.

An outstanding strike in wretched conditions at Cambridge United, a brilliant brace against Morecambe at home. Most importantly a string of vital goals in the latter stages of the season; often the difference between one point and three.

Last minute headers against Shrewsbury Town and Gillingham, a smart finish at Morecambe on the final day. These were all occasions when Neil's side generally were well short of their best, and his instinctive finishing hauled them over the line.

It was all things considered a quite brilliant bit of business. The 24-year-old had only really experienced senior football in one brief loan at Burton Albion, and the results there had been solid if not spectacular.

Sunderland had noted that his game looked to have gone to another level when moved infield to a striking role in Everton's U23s, and that his explosiveness would be too much for League One defences.

It was a calculated gamble and after almost immediately sparking a superb relationship with Ross Stewart, it was one that paid off handsomely.

That the relationship will not be rekindled does not change Broadhead's status as a key player in a very significant chapter of Sunderland's history, the first and most important step in what is hopefully their journey back to somewhere near the top of the English game.

It's a better legacy than many players, loanees especially, have left in a much longer space of time on Wearside. It's why so many wanted him back, and why they'll be wishing him well in his next step just so long as it doesn't mean any goals against the Black Cats.

Disappointment will linger, for sure, both in the stands and in the Sunderland hierarchy.

Sunderland had made clear days after their Wembley success that they would open talks with Everton to try and bring Broadhead back, with Sporting Director Kristjaan Speakman stating his view that Broadhead had all the attributes to step up to Championship level.

While in some quarters there have been understandable concerns over Broadhead's injury record last season, the view at Sunderland was that it shouldn't be an obstruction to a deal if the value was right.

Broadhead had arrived at Sunderland not used to the demands of regular senior football, and without much of a pre-season to speak of. The feeling was that correct both of those two things over time, and you'd get a much better consistency in terms of availability.

Sunderland's trump card was that like Jack Clarke, Broadhead was entering the final year of his deal at Everton. Facing the prospect of seeing a contract run down to its conclusion, you don't really have a choice but to get round the table and talk with a club ready to do a deal.

In the end, it proved crucial that an agreement couldn't be struck in those earlier exchanges.

Though Neil never mentioned Broadhead specifically this summer out of respect for Everton and a desire to keep transfer business private, at times there did appear to be strong hints at a deal still alive.

Talking of players from last year who might still come return, references to offers that might become more attractive to clubs as the end of the window nears and contracts wind down (given Sunderland’s model of signing young players from top academies, Broadhead definitely wasn’t the only one still left in this category).

Eventually Sunderland got close, really close.

Neil and Sunderland thought it was almost done, and if he was not quite buoyant in the aftermath of a brilliant win over Bristol City then now we probably know why. It wasn't just some dodgy defending that had taken the edge off the three goals at the other end.

Broadhead would have been excellent business for the Black Cats.

A permanent deal for a player who already knew the environment, still had room to grow his value over a longer period of time and who above else offered a different attacking option for Neil.

The problem was that for Broadhead, after a long wait things were changing and rapidly over the weekend.

Ellis Simms had arrived before him, his loan from Everton a more straightforward deal for Sunderland to do.

And here he was taking his chance to start in quite spectacular fashion.

At times Sunderland will only play one centre forward, and Ross Stewart was already an imposing figure to battle past.

Time is something that you suspect Broadhead doesn't quite feel he has. There are a very limited number of Championship games between now and the World Cup in Qatar and his chances of making that squad are still alive.

The likes of Gareth Bale, Kieffer Moore and Dan James have their spaces sealed but the race is on to complete the forward options and there is always the possibility of injury to more established players.

In his comments after signing Broadhead spoke of being persuaded by Wigan boss Leam Richardson to make the move, and a key role in the team proved impossible to ignore. The opportunities would have come at Sunderland, for sure, but who could say when?

Neil's comments on Tuesday morning suggested he felt Broadhead should have backed himself to fight his way in, and he also made clear that another loan (understandably) was less appealing to Sunderland.

The end result is also a deal that probably works better for Everton, and closer to what they would have wanted all along. Though there has been no confirmation of a new deal as part of the arrangement, it's inconceivable that they would have sanctioned the deal without one.

They will know that regular football, and regular goals, will see his value rocket ahead of next summer.

It's a setback for Sunderland and one that they need to quickly move on from.

Neil reiterated his view on Tuesday morning that two good results had not changed the need for further recruits, and that more depth would define how successful this campaign will be.

Only time will tell whether Broadhead has made the right call. But Neil could not be clearer: even if Simms' debut changed the picture for the Welshman, it should not for Sunderland.

There will always be a tinge of disappointment when a story that seemed to have more chapters left to run is cut short, but the Black Cats have no time to dwell on it.

We're not resting on our laurels, Neil said.

This has been a good start to the season but there is a lot of hard work to do, and even more so now. There aren't too many Nathan Broadhead's available.

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