The January transfer window is officially open for business. And as ever at Sunderland, Kristjaan Speakman will be looking for ways to improve the Black Cats’ squad.
January looks as though it could go one or two ways for Sunderland. One way is that they keep their star players and sign a few themselves. The other is that they cash in on one too many players, and leave themselves with no time for new signings.
But the Sunderland hierarchy seem to go about their business sensibly. They held on to Jack Clarke before selling him to Ipswich Town for £20million, and they won’t budge easily should teams come in for the likes of Jobe Bellingham or Chris Rigg in January.
Fans want to see new signings, though. Indeed, Sunderland fans think a new striker is needed at the club and a handful have been mentioned in the first half of the season; most recently, Sunderland have been linked with Yannick Agnero at Halmstads in Sweden.
It looks like Kristjaan Speakman could bolster other positions too. One such position is midfield, and one name linked is Glen Kamara.
Glen Kamara told Sunderland would be the ‘best place for him to go’
Recent reports revealed that Sunderland are keeping tabs on Rennes midfielder Kamara who was with Leeds United just last season, then sealing a reported £8.4million move to Rennes in the summer.
The Finnish international has fallen down the pecking order at Ligue 1 club Rennes and speaking to Football League World, pundit Carlton Palmer thinks Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris’ French connections could play a part in Kamara potentially joining.
Palmer said: “The Black Cats will be hoping that, because of their link with French football through Regis Le Bris, that they might have an advantage in bringing him to the UK.
“But whoever he signs for, he’ll want assurances about game time. That’s going to be very, very important to him.”
Palmer then suggested that Kamara would get game time assurances at the Stadium of Light, later adding: “But Burnley and Boro are firmly in that race to get promotion, as are Sunderland.
“I know Sunderland have just dropped off, but I think they would be the best place for him to go because he would be guaranteed football there.
“They need a bit of experience, and I think that it would be a fantastic move for him and for Sunderland.”
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One player could mean Glen Kamara to Sunderland is unlikely
Given Sunderland’s promotion push, it would be safer to assume that the club keeps both Bellingham and Rigg, rather than sell any one of them.
So game time for Kamara may not actually be easy to come by should he join Sunderland, especially with Salis Abdul Samed returning soon.
But Samed could yet leave Sunderland in January if he can’t hit the ground running. But the returning Alan Browne seemingly puts to bed a Sunderland move for Kamara, or any midfielder for that matter.
He’s a very similar player in that he’s a combative and energetic midfielder, with experience too. When Browne returns, Sunderland simply have no need for another central midfielder.