Sunderland fans deliver transfer priorities to Kristjaan Speakman and Stuart Harvey

Speakman was appointed back in December 2020 with Harvey following afterwards. The pair have overseen a radical overhaul of the club’s playing squad with the Wearsiders focusing on their academy, and buying young players to be nurtured and blooded into the first team.

It is a strategy that has produced results, with Sunderland providing a squad that Alex Neil managed to brilliantly turn into promotion winners following Lee Johnson’s under-achievement.

However, with any recruitment strategy, there are pros and cons the club has been criticised for not providing Sunderland with enough depth, as evidenced by the injuries to Ross Stewart and Ellis Simms, leaving Tony Mowbray without any senior strikers.

But what do Sunderland fans think the club’s transfer priorities should be in January? The Echo asked supporters on Twitter in an online poll to canvass opinion. Here are our findings:

- 81.9 per cent of the 1,196 Sunderland fans polled stated that the club should sign another striker during the January window

- 11 per cent of Black Cats fans that voted believe Speakman and Harvey should sign a defensive midfielder

- Just 4.5 per cent of Sunderland fans think the club should sign a centre-back this coming January

- 2.6 per cent of Sunderland fans voted for the “other” option and provided their thoughts in the comments

What Sunderland fans are saying about the January window

@bamgboyeolu: “Striker, CB, Fullback, CM back up for Evans.”

@WadeSAFC: “We need a CM? We have Evans, Neil, Matete, Ba, Michut, Embleton, Pritchard and O’Nien.”

@nqsdiscopants: “I think it will all depend where we are. I still think the priority at the beginning of the season was to stop in the league but if we are in a position where we can challenge for a play off spot or better we might strengthen.”

@1charlie29: “You can always improve its progress to add quality in any positions so if a player like Broadhead becomes available get him in that applies all over the club.”