Nilson Angulo status shared ahead of Sunderland trip to Arsenal
Sunderland have finalised their squad ahead of the season’s crunch point.
The Black Cats are sitting eighth in the Premier League, and are in the hunt for a European spot.
Sunderland secured a 3-0 win against Burnley on Monday, extending their unbeaten run at the Stadium of Light to 12 matches.
Regis Le Bris’ side do face a tough test this weekend though, as they travel to face league leaders Arsenal at the Emirates.
Ahead of the fixture, Le Bris has given an update on his latest addition, Nilson Angulo, who joined the club from Anderlecht on deadline day.
Regis Le Bris gives update on exciting Nilson Angulo
Angulo made the switch to Wearside on Monday after scoring six goals and registering seven assists in the Belgian Pro League, replacing the outgoing Simon Adingra.
After making his move, Le Bris confirmed at his press conference that the Ecuadorian was set to arrive and meet up with the squad on Thursday evening.
“We’ll see when he’ll be with us (how quickly he can be involved). He played a lot, so he’s fit,” said the Frenchman.
“Now it’s a question of connection with his teammates, with the squad. It could be quick and I hope it will be the case. We’ll see, but he could be involved on Saturday.
After coming through the ranks in Brussels, Angulo racked up 1,162 minutes last term in total. For context, he has smashed that out of the park with 1,902 this season.
Speaking about Angulo’s signing on Monday, Le Bris said: “He has this South American style of play as well, with the ability to be creative. He likes the one-v-one situations; he has this character.
“He will probably need time to connect with his team-mates and the league, but you never know, sometimes it is really quick, sometimes it takes time. But we are really happy to have him.”
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Nilson Angulo is the exact profile Sunderland should be targeting
Since securing their promotion to the Premier League last May, Sunderland’s recruitment has been immense.
Alongside the top-level experience of Granit Xhaka, Nordi Mukiele, Brian Brobbey and more, the Black Cats have invested heavily in youth.
The likes of Chemsdine Talbi and Habib Diarra are beginning to find their feet on Wearside, while Noah Sidiki has been mightily impressive throughout the campaign.
With a fantastic mix of experience and youth, Angulo fits the bill of a young and hungry winger ready not just to prove himself in the Premier League, but also potentially on the continent, with Sunderland now locked in a race for European football.
The ongoing Sunderland project shifted through the gears following last year’s Wembley triumph, and the club don’t seem ready to stop here.