Sunderland target Kwame Poku has been the subject of plenty of praise this week.
Speaking on the Not The Top 20 Podcast, EFL pundit Ali Maxwell suggested that he couldn’t believe that the forward wasn’t more ‘in demand’.
Kwame Poku joined Peterborough United from Colchester United in 2021 and initially struggled to impress in the Championship, but kicked off their return to third tier with five goals and eight assists.
The 22-year-old has looked even better this term and already has seven goals in 17 games in League One, while he also tops the charts for assists (6).
Poku’s brilliant form for Posh hasn’t gone unnoticed, with TEAMtalk reporting earlier this month that Sunderland were one club who are interested in signing the attacker.
The Ghana international will be entering the final 18 months of his contract in January, and Sunderland are joined by West Brom, Millwall, Ipswich, Bristol City and Stoke in their pursuit.
Despite the high number of clubs chasing Poku, Ali Maxwell believes he should be even more in demand.
Speaking on his podcast, Maxwell said: “I still don’t feel people take him as seriously as they should. I think there’s a perception that Poku is a kind of hot and cold, inconsistent wide player with good skill without end product, I mean it’s the opposite of that.
“He’s got seven goals and six assists [now seven assists], he leads the league for non-penalty goals and assists per 90. That’s not hot and cold, that’s consistent output.
“He’s actually dribbling less than he was before, but I think he’s becoming a better all round player as a result. I mean he’s 22 and in a league in the Championship where almost every team has switched from playing three at the back to playing 4-3-3 with wide forwards, he should be more in demand than ever.”
Will Sunderland further their pursuit of Kwame Poku?
Kwame Poku is clearly a very highly rated player in League One and seems guaranteed to earn himself a move to the Championship in the near future.
Ali Maxwell’s words on the forward are very promising for Sunderland fans and he would surely help out with the lack of goals, however it would be surprising to see Tony Mowbray add a right winger to his team.
Patrick Roberts only signed a new contract this month and there is no chance that he will be shunned straight out.
However, Poku has played a couple of games behind the striker this season and that could well be a position we would look to fill in January.
Roberts’ struggles on the right have reflected the need for Amad Diallo or a similar replacement, so perhaps a pursuit of Poku could depend on whether we are prioritising a return for the Ivorian.