Sunderland may be able to breathe a sigh of relief when it comes to their hopes of keeping hold of Anthony Patterson, but it’s only a brief reprieve.
When the January transfer window opens, Sunderland will be praying top clubs don’t make irresistible offers for the likes of Chris Rigg, Jobe Bellingham, and Anthony Patterson.
The latter is without doubt Regis Le Bris’ number one goalkeeper at the Stadium of Light, but Patterson is reportedly wanted by Tottenham as they look for cover and competition for Guglielmo Vicario.
So, is Le Bris’ Sunderland squad about to get disrupted in a major way in the New Year? According to the latest report, perhaps not.
- READ MORE: Anthony Patterson hails ‘unbelievable’ Sunderland summer signing, they have a ‘good relationship’
Spurs don’t want to sign a new goalkeeper in January, but they do in the summer
In a report from GiveMeSport, it is said that while Spurs do indeed want to sign a new goalkeeper, Ange Postecoglou is happy to stick with Fraser Forster for now until Vicario recovers from his injury.
The veteran goalkeeper has come in and been a dependable presence between the sticks over the last few games, and it seems Tottenham will persevere through the January transfer window and wait until next summer to sign a replacement for Forster.
So, Sunderland may not have to worry about Tottenham poaching Patterson in the next month, but they’ll have to be on high alert come the end of the season.
Plus, it is also thought Manchester United are keen on Patterson, so the fact Spurs are seemingly out of the race for now will only be a slight reassurance for Sunderland fans.
Anthony Patterson will end up in the Premier League eventually, with or without Sunderland
While Patterson has room to improve, particularly when it comes to his distribution, it is clear that he is destined to play in the top flight sooner or later.
Whether that happens with Sunderland or not remains to be seen. Who knows, perhaps the Black Cats can achieve their unlikely dream of gaining promotion this season, and then they won’t have to panic about losing their top players in the summer.
If they fail in that pursuit of promotion, though, the likes of Patterson, Bellingham, and Rigg will generate great interest from top clubs at home and abroad.
Still, if we trust Football Manager to predict Sunderland’s future, we can expect Patterson and Rigg to stick around long-term. Let’s hope the game is as realistic as we think it is.