The Sunderland January transfer Q&A: Tom Cannon verdict, priority positions and the players who could leave

Sunderland started their January window in some style with the addition of Enzo Le Fee, but there’s much more work to be done in terms of both incomings and outgoings.

In his weekly January Q&A, Phil Smith brings you up to speed on all the latest…

After the signing of Enzo Le Fee, what other transfer business do you see SAFC doing this month?

I don’t think there’ll be too much more in terms of numbers, but I do expect Sunderland to be ambitious. Le Bris has explained that the main priority is to sign a versatile forward, ideally someone who can play through the middle but also is comfortable operating off the two flanks. That makes sense when you consider the current injury list, with Tommy Watson, Romaine Mundle and Ian Poveda all currently absent. The interest in Tom Cannon, a much more traditional centre forward, also tells us that they’re open to making a couple of additions across the forward line so long as it’s the right player.

Beyond that, we know that Sunderland are always looking to recruit young players who can impact the team down the line, even if the primary focus in this window is very much on the here and now.

It’s also fair to say that Sunderland are one injury in defence away from being forced to recruit further in that position, though I think they’ll avoid that if the six players currently available stay fit through to the end of the month. If Aji Alese is facing a long absence, though, then that will be one to watch.

There seems a lot of interest in Tom Cannon, how do you rate Sunderland’s chances?

Given that their ownership situation was recently resolved and the advantage they hold because of parachute payments, I think it would be fair to say that Sheffield United would be the favourites.

However, Sunderland’s financial position is pretty strong and by signing Enzo Le Fée, they’ve shown that they are prepared to be very ambitious this month if some of the financial risk is mitigated by the deal being structured in a loan that becomes permanent in the event of promotion.

And I think Sunderland is a very attractive proposition right now, given both the position in the table and the style of play. Given how difficult it is to recruit strikers, I still think more teams will eventually come in for Cannon and so it’s probably best to be cautious. But I think Sunderland can be in this kind of race in the way they haven’t really been able to for quite some time.

Which of the fringe players do you expect to head out on loan?

Jewison Bennette and Abdoullah Ba are both free to find new clubs, and I expect Sunderland would entertain a permanent deal for the latter if they were able to recoup their investment. He has not been part of Le Bris’s plans for some time and that seems unlikely to change.

Nazariy Rusyn could also still head out on loan this month, though after Aaron Connolly’s departure it might be that Sunderland wait until they’ve strengthened their forward line (whether that be through recruitment or Ahmed Abdullahi being declared ready to join first-team action).

Joe Anderson is another who probably needs a move this month having been limited to U21s football in the first half of the campaign.

After Zak Johnson’s loan exit, which of the younger players do you think will also head out on loan?

I would be very surprised if Harrison Jones doesn’t head out on loan before the end of the month. He’s done really well this season but has a lot of U21 experience under his belt now and needs to test himself in senior football on a regular basis. Now that Sunderland have more depth in midfield, they’ll be happy for him to go out and play as soon as they find the right club.

Given how many of the U21s group are out on loan already, I’m not sure there’ll be a huge amount more business beyond that. Oli Bainbridge is definitely one contender after being recalled from his loan at Kilmarnock, while Trey Ogunsuyi also could go out in search of his first real experience of senior football after Sunderland’s exit from the FA Cup.

How much say does Regis Le Bris have on incoming transfer business at Sunderland? Seemed to play a key role in Le Fee signing.

He has an important say. Sunderland wouldn’t sign a player if they didn’t fit the club philosophy no matter how strongly the head coach believed in it. Le Fee’s versatility and technical ability means he very much fits in with the style and that’s why the club were so happy to push ahead with Le Bris’s recommendation. I think at the moment there’s a pretty good alignment between head coach and club about what style they want the team to play and what’s needed to make that happen, which is a good place to be.

I know you get asked this every week but chances of Rigg, Jobe or Patto leaving this month?

I honestly think it’s very unlikely. All of the players mentioned are under long-term contracts at the club and are very settled. It’s natural that there’ll be interest given how well they are playing but Sunderland are under no pressure to sell and I expect them to reject any bids. We know that they won’t stand in the way if a player’s development outgrows the clubs but selling in mid-season is very, very different. I also honestly think that the players feel they can win promotion this season and are determined to give everything to see it through. Might we be having a different conversation in the summer if Sunderland are still a Championship team? Probably. But that’s a long way off. Things can change very quickly in a transfer window but right now Sunderland seem very relaxed about this.

Ahead of Burnley tonight, how do you see the promotion picture? Big week ahead!

It’s a massive week. It’s a big test for Sunderland tonight because one of the major hurdles they face is that they have to play four of the top seven away from home between now and the end of the campaign. They shouldn’t have any fear because they competed so well with Sheffield United before Christmas, but it’s definitely an advantage for the other teams.

Sunderland are firmly in the race for the top two, though. My main fear was that their lack of depth would cost them in the long run but the early signs in the January transfer window are encouraging when you also consider the injured players starting to return. I think Sunderland fans can be optimistic but for sure, they need to try and get some kind of positive result tonight and then back it up in the following two games. It’s a huge week.