After a frustrating end to the transfer window saw one Sunderland man denied a move away from Wearside, it seems he has a new, very different opportunity at his feet now.
Truth be told, it was a frustrating transfer window for Sunderland as a whole. The signing of Enzo Le Fee may have been a brilliant bit of business, but Jayden Danns was an underwhelming arrival.
Now, the news that both Danns and Le Fee are injured long-term means the Black Cats essentially got no new players in the window, and will have to make do with what they’ve got until the end of the season now.
But, there’s one man who still won’t have a chance of making his way into Regis Le Bris’ plans. Thankfully, though, a move elsewhere appears to be on the cards.
Jewison Bennette subject of talks between Sunderland and LNZ Cherkasy
In the January window, it seemed Jewison Bennette was set for League One, with a loan move mooted and Charlton Athletic the suggested destination.
However, Bennette’s move fell through on deadline day as Charlton ran out of time to complete the necessary paperwork.
Now, though, Bennette is the subject of interest from Ukrainian side LNZ Cherkasy. That’s according to journalist Kevin Jimenez, who took to Twitter/X to say: “LNZ are interested in Jewison Bennette, negotiations are ongoing.”
Jimenez later added that this was a straight sale negotiation, rather than a loan bid. Details of any offer are not disclosed at this time, but it appears a permanent move to the Ukraine would be the route forward here.
It’s worth noting, the Ukraine transfer window runs from January 27 through to March 11, so there is still plenty of time to get this deal over the line with immediate effect.
Fresh start needed for Jewison Bennette, wherever that may be
A move to the Ukraine Premier League is quite a different prospect to the idea of heading down to Charlton and remaining in English football, but at this point, Bennette has very little choice.
He obviously has no future at the Stadium of Light, with plenty of players ahead of him in the Sunderland squad. Indeed, Le Bris opted to play players out of position rather than call on Bennette at times this season, which says it all.
It may seem an odd move and a daunting one, too, but such a clean break and the opportunity to play in a completely different environment may be exactly what Bennette needs at this stage of his career.
He’s still only 20-years-old, and there’s no doubt there is talent there. If he can make something of himself in Ukraine, there’s no reason why a return to England can’t happen at some point.