The Black Cats are anticipated to be active in the transfer market this summer.
Another few weeks, and Sunderland may have been one of the three teams relegated from the Championship this season. The Black Cats, who were play-off candidates and promotion prospects in the early stages of the season, would eventually finish just six points clear of the drop zone, with only one win in their last five games and a form table that read like a horror story.
As a result, a summer reconstruction is extremely necessary. It is neither exaggerated or dramatic to argue that without effective recruitment, Sunderland may quickly find themselves caught in the nastiness of a genuine struggle for survival next year. The Championship is cutthroat, and it doesn’t take much to sink like lead into its murky depths. Simply ask Birmingham City.
Around the end of September, it appeared that the Blues could be dark horses in the quest to leave the second tier in the coming months. Nobody could have expected that they would do this by finishing last in their division.
However, now that they are down, Sunderland should analyze not only their story, but also the brightest shining lights in their dressing room. The Black Cats should pay special attention to Juninho Bacuna. On his day, the Curacao international has been far and by the most brilliant Birmingham player this season. His is a bustling, technically competent midfielder who can operate through the center or out on the right, making him a versatile talent capable of dictating match speed and direction.
Bacuna scored seven goals and assisted six times in 45 games, accounting for 26% of his team’s total goals. According to Whoscored, only young full-back Ethan Laird had a higher average match rating than the midfielder, who also received six Man of the Match honors. He is, in other words, clearly a player destined for more than a season in League One, and Sunderland could do far worse than keep a close eye on him. The Black Cats needed experienced midfield reinforcements before, and especially after, the departures of Corry Evans and Bradley Dack. With 186 outings under his belt, Bacuna understands the division better than most.
However, at 26, he is still in the prime of his career. He appears to tick a number of boxes, not least because his contract expires in 2025, making him a possible option for a quick, book-balancing departure from St. Andrews.
You suspect, and would like to hope, that Sunderland already has a list of transfer targets long enough to go around the Stadium of Light twice this summer. However, if Bacuna’s name is not already on their radar, it should be.
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