Such was Tony Mowbray’s reputation when it came to developing young talent, there was a time when Premier League clubs were lining up to send their most talented youngsters to Sunderland.
Manchester United trusted Mowbray’s Black Cats with the precocious Amad Diallo. And what a decision that turned out to be, Amad now one of Ruben Amorim’s first picks a year-and-a-half since he very nearly dragged Sunderland back to the top flight.
Ellis Simms, now a pretty reliable Championship goalscorer with Everton, also had a spell on Wearside, alongside the one-time West Ham prospect Frederik Alves.
But, while Mowbray may be long gone at the Stadium of Light, Sunderland’s reputation as the most fertile of environments for player development remains.
In fact, thanks to the ongoing emergence of Jobe Bellingham, Chris Rigg, Dan Neil and more, that status has arguably been enhanced during the Regis Le Bris era.
So, with the January transfer window looming, who should Sunderland look to bring in next from the division above?
Trey Nyoni – Liverpool
The three-match ban incurred by Jobe Bellingham, combined with Alan Browne’s injury issues, exposed the lack of depth in Sunderland’s engine room as Le Bris’ flying start hit a series of speed-bump-shaped draws some weeks before Christmas.
And, with Arne Slot admitting that Liverpool’s playmaking wonderkid needs regular minutes if he is to make good on the staggering potential he showcased in pre-season, 17-year-old Trey Nyoni may be an opportunity the Black Cats would grab with both hands.
“He is a young player, really young, but with a lot of talent,” Slot said in September. “He needs playing time to develop. It’s so, so important for him to keep playing his games.”
Since Slot made those comments, however, Nyoni has featured only once, off the bench against Brighton in the EFL Cup. Likened to Manchester United’s Kobbie Mainoo due to his extreme composure and supreme technical ability, Nyoni would potentially be a perfect fit for Le Bris’ possession-based approach.
Marc Guiu – Chelsea
As recently as 12 months ago, the Spain Under 19 international was scoring for Barcelona in the Champions League.
Now, he is stuck in Chelsea’s second string, a half-dozen Conference League strikes against Europe’s minnows, plus one brief Premier League outing, is all the sizeable striker has to show for his £5 million switch from Catalonia to West London.
Labelled a ‘pure centre-forward’ who can be ‘unstoppable’ with pace to run into, Guiu could be the penalty-box presence Sunderland lacked as the wins – and the goals- dried up.
Wilson Isidor seems allergic to tap-ins while Aaron Connolly is yet to really get going. Guiu’s poacher’s instinct, then, may make him the final piece of Le Bris’ attacking jigsaw.
Myles Lewis-Skelly – Arsenal
Despite only turning 18 in September, Lewis-Skelly appears likely to become the next Arsenal youngster to force his way into Mikel Arteta’s first-team plans, hot on the heels of Ethan Nwaneri. The teenage left-back certainly did his hopes of more regular involvement no harm with a wonderful pass against Monaco in the Champions League this month, providing the ‘assist-to-the-assist’ for Bukayo Sala’s opener.
However, Lewis-Skelly remains behind Riccardo Calafiori and Jurrien Timber in Arteta’s pecking order, with Jakub Kiwior and Oleksandr Zinchenko also among The Gunners’ left-sided options.
Lewis-Skelly would hardly be guaranteed a place in Le Bris’s XI, either. Not with Sunderland’s Dennis Cirkin in such fine form. But, Aji Alese something of a square peg in a round hole on the flank, Lewis-Skelly would strengthen one of the weaker areas of the Black Cats’ squad.
Kosta Nedeljkovic – Aston Villa
From left-backs to right-backs, Trai Hume has played the full 90 minutes in all but one of Sunderland’s Championship fixtures so far. On the one occasion he was unavailable, that 1-1 draw with Millwall, Le Bris was forced to field the versatile Luke O’Nien on the right.
Nedeljkovic, however, would provide a far more natural solution. An £8 million signing from Red Star Belgrade in January 2023, the speedy Serbian has impressed in the odd cameo appearance for Aston Villa.
Yet, he remains distinctly third choice behind Matty Cash and Ezri Konsa. Should Villa open the door to a short-term loan deal, a wideman of Nedeljkovic’s acceleration and attack-minded nature could be key to solving Sunderland’s issues when it comes to breaking down low blocks.
Djed Spence – Tottenham Hotspur
While comfortably older than the other names on this list at 24, Spence finds himself in a similar situation to the likes of Guiu and Nyoni. A talented footballer, certainly, but one who had spent much of the season twiddling his thumbs on the bench until handed a shock start in the 3-6 home defeat by Liverpool.
Spence, despite an impressive pre-season, has only played six Premier League games under Ange Postecoglou in 2024/25. And with Sunderland light in both full-back positions, Spence’s ability to play on either flank would come in very useful.
A £20 million signing from Sunderland’s North East neighbours Middlesbrough, Spence would represent a low-risk, potentially high-reward addition with bags of Championship experience.
He made over 100 second-tier appearances for Boro, Leeds United and Nottingham Forest, thriving as Steve Cooper guided the Tricky Trees to promotion in 2022.