Sunderland are one of a number of clubs targeting Nathaniel Adjei.
That’s according to The Sun, who have reported that the Black Cats are ready to rival Middlesbrough for his signature.
Nathaniel Adjei joined Swedish side Hammarby IF last summer and is currently enjoying a stellar breakthrough campaign, becoming a regular starter as the club sit sixth in the table.
The defender also started in both of Hammarby’s Champions League qualifiers, as well as netting his first professional goal in a 4-3 win over Djurgaardens in May.
Adjei has also impressed on the international stage too, previously featuring as Ghana’s U-17 vice-captain, before he was called up to the 2019 Africa U20 Cup of Nations at only 16 years old. The centre-back has since made three appearances for Ghana U23s over the summer.
Adjei’s impressive performances in Sweden have caught the eye of multiple clubs, with Sunderland joined by Middlesbrough, Preston North End, Celtic and Rangers in their pursuit – with the latter already sending scouts to watch him last month.
There is also reported interest from abroad, with Sky Sports claiming that clubs from both Belgium and Italy are also keen.
It is thought that Adjei could cost around £3 million, with journalist Alan Nixon reporting last weekend that Preston were already ‘in talks’ over a loan deal with a view to meeting the asking price over a permanent deal.
Would Nathaniel Adjei be a waste of money?
I won’t lie and say I have ever heard of Nathaniel Adjei, but he certainly sounds like a very exciting prospect.
However, after snapping up both Jenson Seelt and Nectarios Triantis in the summer, it seems like it would be an unnecessary amount of money to spend on another young, foreign centre-back.
Unless Adjei would be coming in to replace someone like Luke O’Nien – which seems unlikely given his lack of experience – then it seems a bit pointless.
We already have some very talented, up-and-coming defenders and to give them even more competition seems like it would have more of a negative impact rather than a positive one.
We didn’t seem too keen to cough up such a fee for a striker in the summer, so it would be a shock to see us splash £3m on another centre-back.