Sunderland on standby to submit offer for Burnley star
Sunderland are keeping a close eye on any developments surrounding one of Burnley’s star players ahead of a potential summer swoop.
Sunderland have enjoyed a successful campaign at large, though recent results have certainly put a negative spin on things as of late.
Their heartbreakingly late defeat to Leeds United was closely followed by an abject display in a 1-0 home loss to Hull City, all but ending any hopes they had of achieving automatic promotion.
The Black Cats were able to sign Enzo Le Fee in January, though he would turn out to be the only real signing of importance with many supporters now looking back on potential missed opportunities.
According to the latest reports, one of those missed opportunities could re-surface as a fresh one in the summer transfer window.
Marcus Edwards remains of interest to Sunderland
Given the lack of form from Patrick Roberts, many supporters were left questioning the lack of competition signed for him in January.
One of the names mentioned was that of Marcus Edwards, though the ex-Spurs forward seemingly opted for a move to Burnley instead.
Edwards has already impressed at Turf Moor, though there remains a chance that he could line up at the Stadium of Light in the future according to Alan Nixon.
Reporting via his Patreon (23 February), Nixon states that Sunderland are watching Edwards with an eye on a potential move in the summer.
However, the likelihood is that a deal will only be possible if the Black Cats achieve promotion back to the Premier League and Burnley don’t.
| Championship table 2024/25 | W | D | L | GD | P |
| Leeds | 21 | 9 | 3 | 48 | 72 |
| Sheffield United | 22 | 6 | 5 | 24 | 70 |
| Burnley | 18 | 14 | 2 | 34 | 68 |
| Sunderland | 17 | 11 | 6 | 19 | 62 |
As it stands, Burnley sit just two points outside of the top two while the Mackems have an eight-point gap to try and turn around.
Sunderland in make or break situation
With the top two now seemingly out of sight, the final chance of promotion lies in the playoffs which as everyone will be aware, is a lottery at the best of times.
The main advantage that Sunderland have is the fact that they have typically faired well against the teams around them while struggling against those towards the bottom end of the table.
If the Wearsiders can achieve promotion, everything will be great. But if they don’t, things will be very different.
Several players will likely leave Sunderland with offers to be expected if they remain in the Championship and it would leave the hierarchy with a resounding amount of work to do in the summer.