Sunderland were linked with their share of strikers last summer, and in the end they signed three.
But none of the strikers Sunderland signed last summer have had an impact, and once again, the Black Cats are heading towards another window where strikers is the main priority.
Kristjaan Speakman managed to bring in Luis Hemir, Nazariy Rusyn, and Mason Burstow last summer, though between them they’ve scored just three Championship goals this season.
Then in January, Sunderland got deals over the line for Callum Styles, Romaine Mundle, and Leo Hjelde; no strikers, despite the ongoing need for forwards being apparent.
With Jack Clarke injured and having missed the last five now, Sunderland are winless in those five and gave scored just three goals, firing blanks in three.
Who was linked with Sunderland last summer
Typically, Sunderland were linked with a horde of players within Europe, often times unknown quantities of the same categories of Rusyn and Hemir.
One interesting name linked with a move to the Stadium of Light was Tom Cannon.
The former Everton man turned heads in the second half of last season after scoring eight goals in 20 Championship appearances on loan at Preston North End.
He became one of the hottest commodities for teams in the Football League, with Tony Mowbray‘s Sunderland having been well in the race to sign the 21-year-old.
Though Leicester City eventually signed him.
It looked as though teams were biding their time ahead of a possible auction before Leicester dropped a £7.5million bid for Cannon, giving rival teams no chance of signing the forward from Everton.
Tom Cannon may regret not signing for Sunderland
Everton may well have jumped at that £7.5million fee from Leicester.
But, at a stretch, it’s a fee that Sunderland may well have been able to cough up if they had planned a bit better last summer.
The Black Cats spent more than £10million last summer according to Transfermarkt; seemingly poor spending too on names like Hemir, Rusyn, Eliezer Mayenda and Timothee Pembele, claiming most of that back on Ross Stewart’s sale to Southampton.
If Sunderland moved for Cannon sooner they could’ve got him for less than what Leicester paid, and with this season coming to an end, Cannon may be regretting not getting a move to Wearside.
The striker signed with a back injury and has had to wait for his chance.
But he’s only featured 12 times in the Championship this season, with two goals to his name; despite Leicester City’s striker woes this season, Cannon has had to play a bit part role, often coming off the bench late in games.
As per WhoScored, Cannon has started just three games in the Championship this season, playing 408 minutes, which is even less than Hemir (464 minutes).
Whereas at Sunderland, Cannon would’ve been the main man up front, and going off his record at Preston, Sunderland would surely have had a few more goals to their name by now.
Transfer planning at Sunderland has really been pulled into the spotlight in recent weeks.
Clarke’s injury has highlighted a lack of star quality in the side and a lack of attacking threat which Speakman desperately needs to address in the summer.
Someone like Cannon, maybe even on loan if Leicester go up, could be a coup.