Sunderland still don’t know whether they’ll be in the Premier League next season or not, but the Black Cats are already lining up transfers for the summer.
As things stand, Sunderland look destined for the play-offs this season, which means they could well escape the Championship come the end of May.
Regis Le Bris has used the last two transfer windows wisely, shedding the excess and fringe players in his squad while also bringing in some genuine quality, albeit on loan in some cases.
A successful January transfer window is now behind us, and it seems the Wearside club are already plotting ahead for deals they can strike in the summer.
Sunderland one of Championship clubs tracking Ahmet Gurleyen
Reports out of Germany suggest that Sunderland are looking at a move for Hansa Rostock centre-half, Ahmet Gurleyen, with a price tag of just over £400,000 mooted.
The news broke when Fussball Transfers claimed Sunderland were one of a number of Championship sides to “have their eye” on Gurleyen, and it seems he is now destined to play in England next season.
Gurleyen left FC Nuremberg just last summer, joining third-tier Rostock, and has been a regular fixture for his new team and putting in impressive displays all season.
These reports are backed up by BILD, who have cited an asking price of €500,000 (£414,125) for Gurleyen. That price tag for the 25-year-old is not thought to be an issue for Sunderland or any other club looking at the player.
It remains to be seen whether Kristjaan Speakman and his team can strike a deal for Gurleyen or not, but it’s an interesting link indeed.
What does this mean for Sunderland’s hopes of keeping Chris Mepham?
One thing this rumour has us pondering is whether it means Sunderland are losing hope of signing Chris Mepham on a permanent basis.
The Bournemouth man is currently on loan at the Stadium of Light and has looked a perfect fit for the Mackems.
Mepham’s contract with Bournemouth expires in the summer and it is thought the Cherries are ready to let him go for nothing. But, Sunderland are not the only club interested in the 27-year-old.
| Statistics | Chris Mepham | Dan Ballard | Luke O’Nien |
| Games | 25 | 18 | 33 |
| Minutes | 2,182 | 1,048 | 2,884 |
| Tackle success | 74.2% | 70% | 66.7% |
| Blocks/90 | 1.24 | 0.69 | 0.94 |
| Interceptions/90 | 1.07 | 0.69 | 1.22 |
Of course, this interest in Gurleyen may simply be Sunderland attempting to bolster the squad sufficiently and get extra cover in the defensive area. With injuries this season, the backline has been pushed to its limits in many ways, and Le Bris even suggested a new defender might be needed.
Signing both Mepham and Gurleyen in the summer would be great business for Sunderland, regardless of what division they are in. Signing neither, however, would be a big mistake.