Sunderland ‘already have first summer transfer’ as Matija Frigan breaks silence
Sunderland lost 2-1 to Bristol City in the Championship on Friday, but Kyril Louis-Dreyfus will already have his eyes on the upcoming transfer window.
Regis Le Bris’ team travelled to Ashton Gate on 18 April and dropped three points despite taking the lead after Eliezer Mayenda’s goal.
The Black Cats won’t be worried about their prospects of making the play-offs as they’re 10 points ahead of sixth-place Coventry in the league table.
A trip to Wembley for the Championship play-offs is certain for the Tyneside outfit, with just three games left in the domestic season, and the prospect of promotion may have a big say in their business next summer.
Louis-Dreyfus needs to bolster Sunderland next summer
Le Bris has done an impressive job at the Stadium of Light in the current campaign, and Louis-Dreyfus must back the manager irrespective of what happens in the play-offs.
The Black Cats will arguably need to bolster most areas of their squad if they return to the Premier League, and signing a new prolific striker should be one of the priorities.
| Competition (2024/25) | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| Championship | 40 | 12 | 2 |
Wilson Isidor is the leading goal scorer in the Championship for the Tyneside outfit, but they’ll arguably need more quality up front next season.
Even if the promotion is unattainable for the French manager in the coming months, he’ll still evidently want a new centre-forward, and that’s where Westerlo number nine Matija Frigan comes in.
Frigan breaks silence on Stadium of Light transfer as summer exit on cards
Frigan was linked with a move to the Stadium of Light in the winter transfer window, but a deal couldn’t materialise in the end.
While the Black Cats find themselves in a decent position in the Championship, a reliable goalscorer could potentially have propelled them further up the table.
Leeds United and Burnley look favourites to win automatic promotion this season, leaving the Tyneside outfit to fight for promotion against the likes of Sheffield United, Bristol and Coventry.
No matter what the future holds for Sunderland, they may already have their first summer signing ready, as Frigan expressed his willingness to sign for them in the winter transfer window.
The 22-year-old Croatian forward is also looking forward to next summer, and speaking to Germanijak (16 April), he said: “I think it was serious [Sunderland’s interest]. I don’t worry about it, I have people who follow it, but I heard that there was talk about it at the club.
“I liked the idea, but when it didn’t work out, I put it out of my mind the next morning. Summer is coming, maybe a new opportunity, but I have a solid contract, the club decides everything.”
Louis-Dreyfus has a no-brainer decision to fund the Westerlo striker’s signing in the coming months.
If the Black Cats win promotion, Frigan could potentially be a decent backup for them to help Isidor with goal contributions.
The former Zenit Saint Petersburg forward has attracted considerable attention with his performances this season, and his replacement may be needed at the Stadium of Light soon.
What the future holds for Le Bris’ team remains to be seen.