Sunderland decided to bolster their goalkeeping department this summer.
It had previously looked like they could be forced to find a new No. 1 after Anthony Patterson was linked to the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal.
Sunderland managed to keep hold of the 24-year-old, but that didn’t stop them from recruiting further.
The Black Cats eventually brought Simon Moore and Blondy Nna Noukeu in on free transfers, but had also looked further down the EFL for a potential arrival.
It was reported in April that Sunderland had identified Sam Tickle as a potential replacement for Patterson.
The 22-year-old kept 15 clean sheets in 46 games for Wigan Athletic and was named their Player of the Year last season, before attracting plenty of interest from the Championship.
Tickle ended up signing a new four-year contract with Wigan, while Sunderland kept hold of their own star ‘keeper.
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Sunderland target turned down Premier League move
It’s unclear whether the Wearside outfit would have bid for Tickle if Patterson had left, but it now appears that they faced much tougher competition than first thought.
According to journalist Alan Nixon, the England U21 international turned down a big move to Arsenal in the summer.
Nixon wrote on his Patreon: “Wigan’s talented young keeper Sam Tickled turned down the chance to join Arsenal in the window.
“Tickle was sounded out about going to the Gunners as third choice with the chance of becoming a Premier League squad man. However, Tickle was not interested in dropping into the shadows and opted to carry on in League One instead.”
The Black Cats will be very content with Anthony Patterson
Fair play to Tickle, who clearly preferred to pick up regular game-time rather than sitting in the reserves in North London.
Sunderland may well have had a better chance at snapping him up than the Gunners, as they would have offered him a permanent position in their starting line-up.
However, the Black Cats won’t be at all bothered that they failed to sign him given that Patterson has remained at the Stadium of Light.
The North Shields-born goalie has conceded only once in Sunderland’s opening four matches – while he couldn’t really do much about Luke O’Nien’s own goal.
Patterson hasn’t had much work to do at all though and has only actually had to make ten saves – some of which were merely just catches of the ball.
It has so far been an easy ride for him, with the backline keeping him quiet.
There is no doubt that when called upon he will rise to the occasion though, while the only question mark around him remains to be his distribution.