Under-fire sporting director Kristjaan Speakman will have a busy summer ahead of him, with Sunderland prioritizing a number of areas in the transfer market.
Given that Anthony Patterson is expected to go, a goalie may be required. Recently, Southampton has been linked to Sam Tickle, the goalkeeper at Wigan Athletic.
Players all over the field, including Dan Ballard, Jack Clarke, who is expected to leave Sunderland this summer, Dan Neil, and Trai Hume, who has recently drawn interest from Aston Villa, might depart and leave a void in the team.
Sunderland’s primary focus this summer will be on strikers. However, the central midfield position might not have as much influence as other positions.
Sunderland midfield conundrum
This season, Sunderland’s go-to midfielders have been Pierre Ekwah and Neil.
Despite claims that Ekwah has been the most disappointing player in the Championship this season, Ekwah hasn’t exactly made an impression.
There are hints that he and Neil don’t get along, and he’s definitely fallen short of the standard that many had hoped and expected from him this season.
Apart from that, they’re currently the only two viable central alternatives, with people like Josh Bellingham and Chris Rigg being chosen for more senior positions.
Thus, Sunderland may need to add a central midfield player this summer.
Sunderland ought to organize an attack on Birmingham City, led by Tony Mowbray.
Birmingham City was managed by Tony Mowbray earlier in the season, but the Blues risked dropping to League One without him.
They are now just two points above the drop zone in 20th place in the Championship table.
And a lot of their important players—possibly none more so than Jordan James—would undoubtedly be sold off or make moves to leave if they were demoted.
Who is Jordan James
James, a 19-year-old Welsh international, progressed through the Blues system with Jude Bellingham and has been an important part of the starting lineup for the last three seasons.
However, James has made waves both at the club and internationally this season.
James, who Wales manager Rob Page called a “absolute gem,” has excelled during the Dragons’ Euro qualifying campaign and is even being predicted to succeed Gareth Bale as the country’s next big star.
James has also scored eight goals for Birmingham City from midfield while making 38 appearances in the Championship this year.
Which kind of athlete is Jordan James?
James, a central midfielder, is primarily thought of as a box-to-box player.
He can offer some steel in addition to creative quality in the midst because he is a very strong and physically fit man.
Mowbray offered Birmingham Live a positive evaluation of the young player earlier in the season, saying:
“He can, first and foremost, score a goal. Little guy that he is, he knows where the net is. He has some leg strength, so I enjoy how he can shift speed and provide pressure in the midfield. He’s a self-assured boy who doesn’t back down.
“He has many positive qualities, but he also has to improve in other areas. He needs to pay closer attention to his surroundings and scan more. Everyone can experience a passing. He still needs to improve on a number of different elements of his game.
How much would Jordan James cost Kyril Louis-Dreyfus at Sunderland
James would not come cheap.
He was sought by Atalanta in January, and there were several reports stating that a £10 million price was agreed upon.
But relegation would surely reduce that number, therefore the Blues would definitely need to lose first before Sunderland would even contemplate signing James in the summer.
However, if the Black Cats get an unemployed manager like their reputed top target, Paul Heckingbottom, they may have room in the budget for a huge acquisition, and they should have plenty of pocket money this summer from Patterson and Clarke.
Analysis of Jordan James to Sunderland
At Sunderland this summer, something has to give, but it doesn’t appear likely that Speakman and Louis-Dreyfus will go too far from the current plan.
It appears that young players will continue to be the major focus, but ideally with a greater eye toward more seasoned players like James.
Furthermore, it would be essential to have players with championship experience.
And James, who has made 101 games overall for Birmingham City, 91 in the Championship, and 10 caps for Wales, is undoubtedly experienced at the second tier level now.
Additionally, he would provide Ekwah with some much-needed competition in the midfield and depth in that position for the future manager.
In the last several weeks, ekwah has gained a lot of attention.
Even if he still has excellent technical ability, Ekwah’s lack of enthusiasm in the middle is concerning. Perhaps James’ addition would encourage Ekwah to contribute more off the ball.
In addition, James by himself would be a fantastic signing; he would provide steel to a Sunderland team that is now lacking goals and goals in general.
Overall, James’ summer transfer might fill a void in the Sunderland starting lineup for many years to come, despite its high cost.
He might possibly develop into a very significant asset for the Black Cats.
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