Sunderland simply do not stop producing incredible young talent, but one academy star could be on his way out of the club in January.
Over the weekend, the world stood up and took notice of Sunderland’s latest brilliant young star, Tommy Watson, as he scored two goals to secure a crucial win for his boyhood club against Stoke City.
Watson described how his ‘dreams came true’ in that moment, and he is but the latest example of teenagers breaking through at the Stadium of Light.
It’s not been quite as easy for another young member of the Sunderland squad, though, but a solution may be on hand as Regis Le Bris ponders his plans for the January transfer window.
Zak Johnson needs a loan move in January to reach potential
Discussing the future of youngster Zak Johnson with The Northern Echo, Le Bris heavily hinted that a loan move away from the club will be explored in January as the defender looks to build up more first-team experience.
“We’ll see,” said Le Bris. “It could be an option. His reaction, the way he trains every day, is very positive. I like Zak in the training sessions, and especially when he’s a team-mate on the bench. He’s always positive, he’s a good player, but he needs time to develop.”
On the unique challenge facing the Sunderland academy starlet, Le Bris compared Johnson’s pathway to that of Tommy Watson, and suggested breaking through as a defender is more complicated.
“I think for him it’s more difficult because the back four is more consistent,” Le Bris added. “Probably, if he had been a winger, it would have been different for him. But it’s the case, and so far, he’s very positive with the team and I like his profile.”
Sunderland’s defensive line is too strong for Zak Johnson right now
While Sunderland’s forward line has been struggling to find the back of the net consistently of late, the Black Cats defence is really strong, and there’s great strength in depth there.
The battle between Chris Mepham, Dan Ballard, and Luke O’Nien for a starting spot in the heart of that backline is fierce enough already, and all three possess great experience, so it’s going to be so hard for a young player like Johnson to break in there.
It makes sense for Johnson to join the list of Sunderland players out on loan for the second half of the season, so that he can come back and truly compete next season in the first-team.
Le Bris has already insisted he is prioritising the development of young players at the club, but that doesn’t necessarily always mean he will be playing them straight away, and finding a suitable loan is just as important for some players.