Sunderland appointing QPR manager Marti Cifuentes could improve their chances in signing this Championship star.
Sunderland have been without a manager since the sacking of Michael Beale back in February, but options are still being considered ahead of the new season in bringing in a new boss.
Despite it being reported that a six-figure fee would be required to bring him to the club, QPR manager Marti Cifuentes remains one of the top options for Sunderland.
After a successful job steering the R’s to safety in the 2023/24 campaign, the Spanish coach has touted the interest of the Sunderland owners.
The potential appointment of Cifuentes is an exciting one for Sunderland fans and may even help bring in one of their reported summer transfer targets, one who could transform their sub-par attacking output from last season.
Sunderland linked with Chris Willock at QPR
26-year-old Chris Willock could be a perfect addition to Sunderland’s ranks, with the winger set to become a free agent.
The attacker would be quite a coup for the Black Cats, having registered 44 goal contributions in 154 Championship games over the past few seasons, despite being hampered with injuries.
This includes a club Player of the Year award in the 2021/22 prolific season after returning to England back in 2020 from Benfica.
Sunderland have been interest in the former Benfica winger since the end of last season, with the possibility of Cifuentes arriving at Sunderland making the idea of Willock also arriving all the more plausible.
Why Chris Willock would be a good addition for Sunderland
Willock shone under Cifuentes at QPR in the latter stages of the season, clawing them to safety with notable performances against both Rotherham United and Hull City, where he both scored and assisted in each.
He was given limited game time in the early stages of the season under former boss Gareth Ainsworth, with the English winger not registering a single goal contribution prior to the former manager’s dismissal.
However, Cifuentes was able to bring Willock back to his best, with the wide-man proving critical in keeping QPR in the Championship.
The former England U20 international may also prove to be a handy replacement for winger Jack Clarke who has Premier League interest, if he’s to move on in the summer.
The versatility of a player such as Willock can not be downplayed as well, with the attacker able to play across the front line, despite applying his trade mainly on the left side for QPR last season.
The 2021/22 season saw Willock playing more centrally, giving him more of an opportunity to be QPR’s goal threat, to which he accumulated a highly impressive 18 goal contributions, despite missing the final nine games due to injury.