Sunderland could still offload one player before tonight’s deadline.
Sunderland have already parted ways with Alex Pritchard, Nectarios Triantis and Josh Robertson today, but their outgoings might not end there.
While the Black Cats will be confident of keeping hold of their key stars like Jack Clarke and Pierre Ekwah this week, they may still look to send Jay Matete out on loan.
Matete enjoyed a brilliant loan spell with Plymouth Arygle last season, becoming a key player as they won promotion to the Championship.
The midfielder’s form in the third tier led to expectations that he could really make an impact on Wearside this term, though that was before he suffered an injury in pre-season.
After undergoing surgery on his knee, Matete spent six months on the sidelines before he was named on the bench for the defeat to Ipswich Town. He has since been absent again as he continues to struggle with his recovery.
The 22-year-old’s campaign with the Black Cats seems to be written off following his injury problems, and Sunderland could now look him to send him out until the summer to help him regain some match fitness.
Despite the club running out of time to offload Matete, journalist Michael Graham still thinks he could be on his way.
He wrote on X: “Would still keep a close eye on Jay Matete if #SAFC get a midfielder in. Needs to play. Plenty of interest.”
Where will Jay Matete end up?
It was reported last week that two clubs were interested in signing Jay Matete, while Graham reported today that he could potentially move to another Championship outfit.
It is unclear where the youngster could end up, but somewhere that would offer him regular football would really benefit both him and the club.
There is clearly a very talented player in Matete but he is yet to be given a proper chance by the Black Cats.
If he can come back and enjoy a full pre-season in the summer, then there is no reason he can make a name for himself and earn his place in what has been a struggling midfield so far.