It would be quite the move to make but Sunderland have been linked with a switch for Billy Sharp this month as the Mackems eye up a return to the Championship.
But is it a deal they should be making?
What’s the word?
A clear area of improvement for the Black Cats ahead of the final months of the season is in attack. Under Phil Parkinson, they’ve managed just 20 goals in 17 outings.
Moves have already been touted for Liam Boyce and Kyle Lafferty but fresh reports suggest a remarkable swoop for Sheffield United’s Sharp could be on the cards.
The striker has been a target for Leeds in the January window but The Chronicle claims the north-east outfit are also monitoring the situation.
Commenting in his pre-match press conference on Thursday, Parkinson commented on the rumours, saying:
“We’ve seen those comments [from Wilder about Sharp’s future] and it has been mentioned by our recruitment team and staff because Billy is a good player.
“The club has tried to get him in the past and goalscorers like him are much sought-after. Billy has a good record, but we are looking at a lot of players.”
Era on the up
Parkinson’s tenure at the club has been nothing short of troublesome. Since replacing Jack Ross in October, the former Bolton boss has won just four of his games in charge.
Fans have already been on his back, asking for Kevin Phillips to replace him, while there is a large amount of animosity surrounding owner Stewart Donald.
The Black Cats are undoubtedly the biggest club in League One given their prior history in the Premier League but their fall from grace has been alarming following relegation from the Championship.
They currently sit in ninth place but for all their faults, they are still a point off the playoffs. That doesn’t tell the full story of a Sunderland side who has stagnated in previous months though.
Signing a man with a reputation such as Sharp, therefore, could be absolutely game-changing, not only for the club this season but also in terms of improving Parkinson’s tenure.
It’s clear Sunderland need more goals and they’d find no better man to do that than the Premier League marksman.
Call yourself a Premier League expert? How much did each of these big-money January signings cost?
This is someone with a proven record in the lower leagues, scoring 104 goals throughout his League One career in just 172 matches.
The 33-year-old has two Player of the Year awards at this level and has also been named in three Team of the Years.
If Sunderland have ambitions of turning around their fortunes under Parkinson, this could be absolutely perfect. Their defence is now more compact, conceding four in their last five, so all they need to do now is find a regular goalscorer. This could be their man.
Meanwhile, Sunderland are in the market for a player who could prove to be another disruptive influence…
