Sunderland AFC fan blog: Is this the club's most important transfer window ever?

Lynden Gooch scores against Lincoln City.

In recent years, have big January acquisitions spurred that team on to promotion?

In January 2019, the biggest signing of the window in League One was our signing of Will Grigg - costing the Wearsiders around £3million.

Grigg only scored four goals in 20 appearances for the Black Cats but Sunderland lost the play-off final in devastating fashion in May.

The second most expensive signing was Coventry's addition of Conor Chaplin, who was signed from Portsmouth for just under £500,000.

Last season, Luton brought in five players, and the most influential was Jason Cummings.

Although he only featured five times, he scored once against Blackpool and provided one assist.

Barnsley arguably brought in the best signing of January, when they turned a loan deal for Cauley Woodrow into a permanent deal.

From January, he scored 12 goals in 21 games, helping Barnsley to 2nd.

Three of Charlton's five January acquisitions - Jonny Williams, Josh Parker and Ben Purrington - helped achieve promotion in May.

In the 2017-18 season, all three promoted teams had recruited well, as they all brought in goalscorers.

Wigan signed James Vaughan for £306,000 and netted three times in a brief spell for the Latics.

Blackburn's addition of Adam Armstrong was later turned into a permanent deal, after scoring nine in 21 games and providing two assists.

Rotherham also completed the deal of Michael Smith from Bury, and he supplied the Millers with six goals and two assists.

So, although Sunderland AFC haven't yet brought anyone in yet, the club must choose the signings well, which can hopefully be the final piece of the jigsaw to push us on for promotion.

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