Sunderland have just missed out on another striker target.
Sunderland are once again in the market for a new striker this summer, with sporting director Kristjaan Speakman outlining the club’s need for a new striker earlier this summer.
But whether he’ll actually deliver results this time remains to be seen.
Speakman has had several transfer windows now to bring in an experienced Championship striker, or at least a striker experienced elsewhere, and he’s failed to do so.
Last summer, Sunderland signed three new strikers in Luis Hemir, Mason Burstow, and Nazariy Rusyn, but the three managed just three Championship goals between them in 2023/24.
Right now, Sunderland are trying to sign Alexandre Mendy from Caen, but appear to be be facing some difficulties in that pursuit, with Kylian Mbappe now a majority shareholder at Caen.
Elsewhere, another name has recently been mentioned alongside Sunderland in Zan Vipotnik.
It’s claimed that Sunderland have looked at Vipotnik in the past, but that their interest had faded.
He’s recently been made a free agent after previous club Bordeaux filed for bankruptcy.
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Zan Vipotnik joins Championship rivals
22-year-old Vipotnik represented Slovenia at Euro 2024 this summer, after scoring 10 goals for Bordeaux in Ligue 2 last season.
Now though the youngster has joined Sunderland’s Championship rivals Swansea City on a free transfer.
It was made clear in reports that Sunderland’s interest in the striker had passed, but it was also made clear that Speakman had taken a good look at the player previously.
Vipotnik will sign a four-year deal with Swansea City, with the move subject to visa approval.
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Sunderland had nothing to lose in a move for Zan Vipotnik
The fact that Speakman looked at Vipotnik in the past, and then moved on, suggests that the club didn’t fancy a move for him.
But it’s hard to suggest that that’s because of a lack of quality; he provided goals for Bordeaux last season and was recently at Euro 2024, albeit playing just once for Slovenia.
Then becoming a free agent, it could’ve been a risk-free move for Sunderland who are in desperate need of some quality in attack.
Vipotnik is also a young player at 22, so he certainly fitted the bill for Sunderland who’ve now missed out, and who remain in need of striker options.
What comes of Sunderland’s striker search this summer remains to be seen. But it certainly looks like another testing transfer window in that regard.