Sunderland's Nathan Broadhead transfer decision explained and what's next in January striker search

Ipswich Town sit two points off the automatic promotion place just past the halfway point of the season, but if Nathan Broadhead can be available for a large chunk of their remaining fixtures they will have every chance of overhauling that deficit.

It's a deal that has also been the source of considerable intrigue on Wearside, for two very obvious reasons: 1) Broadhead was, injury frustration notwithstanding, a huge success in his loan spell last season and 2) Sunderland have a clear and obvious need of their own for a striker in the current window.

So why didn't a reunion ever come particularly close this time around? There's probably no one reason alone why the Black Cats didn't move this time around, but the timeline of events probably sheds some light.

Broadhead was a target for Sunderland in the summer, at which point he had just one year left on his deal at Everton. Sunderland wanted a permanent deal as they bid to start building a Championship strike force over a period of time, and after a process which lasted almost the entirety of the summer they thought they made their breakthrough. A deal was as close to being done as it can be without, well, actually being done.

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Sunderland were left surprised when Broadhead instead signed a new deal at Everton and went on loan to Wigan Athletic. Though we may never know exactly why that transpired, the Black Cats were given the impression that Broadhead felt his chances of first-team football were better at the DW Stadium. In what was presumably no coincidence, the weekend this decision was made was the same one in which Ellis Simms marked his debut for Sunderland with a brace at Bristol City.

"There were a lot of discussions taking place and to be fair, we weren't far away from an agreement," Alex Neil would diplomatically say later. "Then obviously Saturday happened, we got two goals from one striker, one from another, and that can sometimes change people's views on things."

Sunderland returned to the market but having decided that a more orthodox striker of the requisite quality wasn't available, they instead took a calculated chance on Amad's quality and versatility. It left them short when injuries struck and many points went by the wayside in that time; it also won them a host of points when Amad's individual quality came to the fore from the right flank. He has become a joy to watch, and mightily effective too.

Broadhead has made an impact at Wigan, but it has proven to be a difficult and often turbulent campaign for the club. Ahead of the January window it was agreed with Everton that if a suitable offer came in, it would be best for him to find a permanent home and kickstart his career.

Ipswich Town moved quickly and aggressively. The deal is thought to be worth in the region of £1.5 million, a huge fee at that level, and so you can be sure that the terms will be excellent for the player. In six months time, Broadhead could well be already embedded in an upwardly-mobile Championship club.

Talented Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna tends to play with one striker and two attackers just in behind, both roles in which Broadhead is very much adept. It is, make no mistake, an outstanding offer and despite the level of investment, you suspect it is also a very smart one from Ipswich. Strikers of Broadhead's ability aren’t very often available in the January window, and he’ll be more than comfortable stepping up if they do go on to win promotion.

Sunderland were made aware of Broadhead's availability ahead of the window and the Welshman would have jumped at the chance if it developed seriously this time around, but the sense always was that the moment had gone and that Ipswich had moved well into the driving sense.

For Sunderland, it seems clear that was no longer the right deal at the right time. They have moved onto other targets, likely if they are to pay a fee (which they likely will) to sign a younger player who offers competition and cover for Ross Stewart. The scope of their scouting network is growing with every window and it would be no surprise if they brought that to bear this month.

Another loanee or even the return of Ellis Simms, if circumstances at Everton change, could then potentially supplement that pair. There is still a lot of time left in the window and Sunderland will continue working on both their short and longer-term targets.

Sunderland felt that this time around there could well be better value options for them out there - and now they need to land them.

Tony Mowbray has stressed the importance of adding natural strikers, having again been forced to field two false number nines as he rested Ross Stewart in the FA Cup Third Round at Shrewsbury Town. He has also stressed that he knows these things can take time. It goes without saying that retaining Stewart this month is as important as it ever was.

For Broadhead, it's a move that could well be the making of him. He goes with his place in Sunderland's history forever secure - who knows where they might be now without those goals and those late, late winners in particular. The chance to write another chapter, it seems, passed in that dramatic weekend in August.