Sunderland have announced that under-23 goalkeeper Anthony Patterson has penned a new contract at the club.
It is set to be a busy summer at the Stadium of Light as manager Phil Parkinson looks to bolster his squad ahead of a third successive season in League One.
Having failed to gain promotion to the Championship for a second consecutive year, Sunderland will be under pressure to deliver next term, and Parkinson’s first port of call has been to agree a number of expiring player contracts.
One of those players to have received a new deal is young ‘keeper Patterson, who has been playing for the club’s under-23 side this term.
The 20-year-old featured 18 times for Sunderland’s Premier League 2 last season but conceded a whopping 51 goals as the youth team finished rock bottom of their league.
Patterson’s new deal will hand Parkinson a potential option between the sticks as Scottish ‘keeper Jon McLaughlin looks set to leave the club.
The 32-year-old first team regular has received interest from both Blackburn Rovers and Scottish Premiership side Rangers and is available on a free transfer come the end of June.
McLaughlin’s expected departure isn’t likely to go down well among the Wearside faithful and you could argue that Patterson’s new deal may not excite them too much.
The young ‘keeper is regarded as a future prospect but Sunderland fans could look to those statistics from the 2019/20 campaign with a dim view, especially if they lose an experienced netminder like McLaughlin.
Do you think Patterson can become a first team regular? Let us know in the comments section below…
