There were many factors that contributed to Sunderland’s consecutive relegations from the Premier League and the Championship in 2017 and 2018 but a key reason was poor recruitment.
Back in 2013, Paulo Di Canio was given the chance to bring in his own personnel, which included four Italians and some memorable flops such as Liam Bridcutt and Jozy Altidore.
Those underperforming players indicate why the Black Cats struggled for several years before going down, but a recent revelation shows things could have been different.
Benjamin Mendy, who is now at Manchester City after being signed by Pep Guardiola for £52m in 2017, has suggested that the option was there for him to move to the Stadium of Light when Paulo Di Canio was at the helm.
He was just 18-years-old at the time and impressing for Le Havre, eventually making a £3.5m move to Marseille in the summer of 2013.
In a recent interview with FourFourTwo, he said: “It’s true that I met Sunderland and we had talks, but in my head I really wanted to do something good in France before I travelled abroad. I didn’t want to leave French football like that, through the small door.”
The above shows Sunderland came close to signing the France international, but it is instead a tale of what could have been, and how the north-east outfit could have profited from his arrival.
He has since gone on to win four trophies in England despite his injury issues, and the fee he moved for shows the Black Cats could have sold him on at a high price to reinvest in the squad.
It is impossible to know for sure but if the club had made signings like Mendy and others like him a few years ago it is very possible that they wouldn’t be in their current predicament.
What do you make of this news Sunderland fans? Let us know what you think about the failed deal in the comments below…
