Sunderland are closing in on a deal to sign a former Championship free agent attacker.
Sunderland on the attacking front have been completely transformed this season under new head coach Regis Le Bris.
He has managed to get the very best out of his front three, consisting of Romaine Mundle, Patrick Roberts and Eliezer Mayenda, all of which have played an integral part for Sunderland and getting them in 2nd place at this very early stage of the 2024/25 Championship campaign.
It is a vastly different story to a few months ago, which saw Roberts out of form coming off the back of a tricky 2023/24 season, whilst Mundle and Mayenda didn’t look to be up to scratch for the level of the Championship.
It is clear that Le Bris has succeeded in getting the very best out of his attackers, and it looks like there is set to be another one to come through the doors at the Stadium of Light, with a Championship-experienced free agent looking likely to join the side.
Sunderland close in on free agent Aaron Connolly
The Black Cats had been previously linked to former Brighton and Hull City striker Aaron Connolly in the past week, however any deal at that point was deemed to be unlikely,
However, per James Copley on X, it is now reportedly ‘looking likely’ for the Republic of Ireland international to join Sunderland in the coming days.
Connolly will arrive with both Premier League and Championship experience under his belt, with his most recent stint seeing him score eight goals for Hull City, helping them to a respectable 7th place position in the 2023/24 campaign.
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Aaron Connolly will bring goals to Sunderland but they must be aware of one issue
There are no doubts that Connolly could prove to be a spectacular option up top for Le Bris’ side this season, and it will be crucial that Sunderland do bring him in to bolster the attacking depth available.
He struggled to get off the mark at previous spells at Middlesbrough, Venezia in Italy and during his time at Brighton, however his stint with Hull City showed that he has the attacking qualities to adapt to the Championship, and with him being a quick and versatile forward.
He was described by former Hull City boss Liam Rosenior as ‘fantastic’, per BeinSports, and there is no doubt that he will slot well into Le Bris’ plans.
However, one thing that Sunderland must be aware of is his relatively bleak injury record, which has held his career back at times.
The forward missed large quantities of the 2022./23 campaign with Hull City, and injuries initially halted his introduction to the Premier League with Brighton.
He will no doubt be a brilliant option for Sunderland, but like Ian Poveda at this current moment, he is a player to keep a close eye on in regards to fitness.