One Black Cats transfer target notched a top goal at the weekend as Sunderland still eye the striker.
Sunderland are continuing their current pursuit for a striker this January, with Deadline Day looming.
Several names have been linked across the month, from Premier League pair Tom Cannon and Ben Brereton Diaz, who Sunderland lost out to Sheffield United, as well as Chuba Akpom. Matija Frigan is another name linked, as well as Preston North End man Emil Riis.
With just one confirmed arrival so far this January, it looks as though any confirmed deals are set to be sanctioned late on, and whilst Sunderland aren’t closing in on any deals imminently, the fact that Kristjaan Speakman has sanctioned the loan of Nazariy Rusyn shows the Black Cats’ confidence in bringing an extra man through the doors on Wearside.
The list of players that Sunderland are tracking certainly shows their ambition, and Black Cats fans will love what one of their targets did at the weekend.
Sunderland target Emil Riis bags Preston North End goal to defeat Middlesbrough
With the current options that Sunderland have up top, they will certainly need a guaranteed Championship goalscorer that could fight for a place in Regis Le Bris’ line up. One of Sunderland’s current targets this weekend proved that they were the exact mould for this.
Sunderland target Riis was the difference maker for Preston North End this weekend, bagging the deciding goal to deny Middlesbrough any points on the road.
The Danish 26-year-old picked up the ball inside the box after receiving it from Conor Chaplin, and then showed impeccable composure to take it onto his right foot before threading it through a crowd of three Boro players and past Seny Dieng in-between the sticks for the away side.
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Emil Riis embodies exactly what Regis Le Bris needs in a striker option
Sunderland’s current attacking options of Wilson Isidor and Eliezer Mayenda have been more than solid this season, with it being expected that they will be entrusted to see out the rest of the 2024/25 Championship season as Le Bris’ top options. As a result, the Black Cats aren’t likely to splash out on a forward that may not necessarily play week-in week-out.
With the need of not guaranteeing a new forward the maximum game time, whilst also looking to bring someone in with a Championship goalscoring quality, Riis certainly fits that bill, with his recent goal proving just that.
His tally in the Championship now sits at eight goals, and he would certainly be perfect in providing the necessary competition to Sunderland’s current ranks, whilst also being much less of a gamble compared to the other names linked to the Black Cats.