The Sunderland supporting punters here in the Transfer Tavern are getting anxious as the clock starts to tick louder ahead of the transfer window slamming shut on Monday evening.
Black Cats boss Sam Allardyce is desperately trying to add to his squad as he bids to avoid relegation to the Sky Bet Championship.
Sunderland have won just five games this season and are currently second bottom of the table, four points adrift of safety, so signing players is integral to the manager during this window.
Our landlord here in the Tavern thinks this transfer window is the most important in Sunderland’s history and he doesn’t think the club would be back in a hurry if they were to slip through the trap door at the end of this season.
Here one of the Transfer Tavern’s dedicated writers takes a look at five players Sunderland should try and sign during this transfer window.
Hit Allardyce below to see FIVE players he could bring to the North East!
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Andre Ayew
Sunderland boss Sam Allardyce is keen to add an all-round striker to his squad and appears to have identified the Swansea City forward as the ideal candidate.
Ayew has netted eight goals during his maiden season in the Premier League and given the fact he only signed for the Swans in the summer, it is highly unlikely they will wish to sell.
One Sunderland fan is having a pub lunch in the Transfer Tavern and thinks Ayew is exactly the sort of player the Black Cats need, but is not too enthused as he doesn’t feel Swansea would be willing to sell to a relegation rival.
Mathieu Debuchy
Another player strongly linked with a move to the North East is former Newcastle United right-back Debuchy.
The Frenchman’s Arsenal career has been blighted by injury and a move to resurrect himself at another Premier League club could be a good move for the player.
Our landlord in the Tavern thinks that the signing of Debuchy would certainly improve Sunderland’s back four and thinks he would also add some much needed Premier League experience to Allardyce’s squad.
Jordan Rhodes
The Blackburn Rovers striker has been scoring goals by the bucket load for the last five years in the Championship and League One and it is really a matter of time before he makes the leap to the Premier League.
Rovers have recently emerged from a transfer embargo and boss Paul Lambert is now looking to raise funds for his own recruitment drive.
Rhodes is likely to fetch £10 million at the very least should he depart from the Lancashire-based club.
One Sunderland fan is enjoying a pint of the landlord’s best bitter and thinks that although Rhodes scores goals, he would represent a massive risk, given his lack of top-flight football.
Seydou Doumbia
Another striker who has been heavily linked with a move to the Premier League is CSKA Moscow striker Doumbia.
Several top flight clubs have expressed a desire to sign the 28-year-old and the Black Cats are among the potential suitors for the player to consider.
Sunderland could certainly offer the player regular football, with scoring goals a big issue for the Black Cats at present, but whether the player would want to get himself embroiled in a relegation battle remains to be seen.
Saido Berahino
The West Bromwich Albion striker looks destined to leave the Hawthorns during this transfer window with a range clubs vying for his signature.
The West Brom fans here in the Tavern are not too keen on seeing the club sell him and would rather they waited until the end of the season to cash in on a player who has struggled for form this season.
Newcastle United and Spurs are probably further to the front of the queue that Sunderland right now, but if Allardyce can persuade Berahino that his future lies at the Stadium of Light, it could be seen as a coup for the club.
