Sunderland transfer news: Seven EFL youngsters Cats should target including a young player of the season

The summer signings of Abdoullah Ba, Jewison Bennette and Jack Clarke have all played their part this season and the club looks towards a promising future with these youngsters.

If Sunderland does follow suit, they will certainly look to delve into the summer window looking at the young and upcoming players in the football league.

The Echo looks at seven young EFL prospects that the Black Cats could look to sign for the future.

Junior Tchamadeu

EFL fans would have heard of the name Junior Tchamadeu in recent days as he recently won the League Two Young Player of the Season award. Tchamadeu has played 40 times for Colchester this season, scoring five and assisting two goals this season.

Since becoming Colchester’s youngest ever player at 16 years and 349 days old, the right-back has played 89 games for the club in all competitions. The 19-year-old has also been named in the League Two Team of the Season and won EFL Young Player of the Month for January 2023.

Tchamadeu is currently out of contract next summer and may want a new challenge higher up in the leagues and if so Sunderland may be able to secure him with the right offer.

Miles Leaburn

The 19-year-old is having a breakout season in League One that he will never forget. The youngster, who made his first team debut in August, has gone on to score 11 goals this season.

Primarily seen as a bench player for Charlton this season, Leaburn averages a goal every 149 minutes across his 33 league appearances. Standing at 6ft 5in, Leaburn is a real aerial threat and has been linking up well with his midfield and winning flick-ons where possible.

Sunderland know they need a striker following this season after Ross Stewart’s injury and the recall of Ellis Sims left them short of options at one stage of the season.

Premier League and Championship clubs are reportedly interested in Leaburn so Sunderland may have stiff competition if they wish to sign the promising forward this summer.

Ronnie Edwards

20-year-old Ronnie Edwards currently plays for League One outlet Peterborough United since signing for them back in 2020. Coming through the ranks at Barnet, he swiftly made the step up the Football League with The Posh and hasn’t looked out of place at all.

Standing at 6ft, Edwards averages 1.3 headers per game and a pass completion percentage of 84.5% according to whoscored.com.

Edwards is also an England international at U19 and U20 level and was part of the England U19 side that won the UEFA European Under-19 Championship 2022.

Louie Sibley

The 21-year-old already has experience in the EFL Championship and burst onto the scene in 2019 scoring seven goals in 17 for Derby. Sibley was part of the Derby County side that was relegated in 2022 and has gone on to make 123 appearances in all competitions.

The midfielder is a creative threat for Derby, averaging 1.3 shots per game and 0.9 key passes per game this season. Sibley has represented England at all levels from U17 to U20 level, most recently playing for the England U20 side in a 6-1 win against Romania in September 2021.

Sibley’s contract is up at the end of next season and the Black Cats may be able to secure his services on a cut-price deal.

Zac Williams

The Welsh youth international broke onto the scene in 2021 for Crewe and immediately became a starter after his debut in a 2-0 defeat against Bolton Wanderers in November 2021.

Last season’s stats show that when Williams broke into the first team he led the club in the average ball carry distance (12.9m per carry), average ball carry progress distance (9.3m) and average carry progress per 90 minutes (92m) – according to theanalyst.com.

Williams has featured for both the Wales U18 and U19 squads. He earned three caps for the Wales U19 team in September 2023, scoring once against Gibraltar.

The Welshman signed a new contract in May 2022, but he has only made 15 appearances this season after suffering a hamstring injury which ruled him out for the season.

Eiran Cashin

Another Derby youngster that should be on Sunderland’s radar is Irishman Cashin. The 21-year-old is a youth international for the Republic of Ireland at U18 and U21 level.

Cashin was brought into the first team during Derby’s tepid time in their relegation season in the Championship, making his debut on December 11, 2021, against Blackpool.

He would go on to become a first-team regular following the departure of Phil Jagielka and since has become one of the first names on the team sheet for The Rams.

Across his 41 league games this season, Cashin averages two tackles per game, 1.8 interceptions per game and 4.2 clearances per game according to whoscored.com.

He has signed a contract extension until 2024, meaning his contract would be up at the end of next season.

Sean Roughan

At just 19-years-old Sean Roughan has made himself the first-choice left-back for Lincoln City, making his debut in 2020 in the EFL Cup against Crewe Alexandra.

He was spotted on trials with Southampton and Chelsea in May 2021, but opted to stay at Lincoln City, eventually going out on loan to Drogheda United, playing 15 times.

Following his return to Lincoln, he has been a big part of Mark Kennedy's team, playing 37 times and has represented the Republic of Ireland at U17, U19 and U21 levels.

Roughan’s contract is up at the end of this season, allowing Sunderland to snap up the 19-year-old on a free in July.