The January transfer window is drawing to a close with just a week left, and one Sunderland starlet now knows what he will be doing for the rest of the season.
Sunderland have brought in one player this month, with Enzo Le Fee arriving from Roma on loan, while Aaron Connolly and Nazariy Rusyn may well have played their last game for the Black Cats.
Meanwhile, Zak Johnson secured a loan move to Notts County, which should stand the young defender in good stead for the future.
Now, another Sunderland youngster’s immediate future has been determined, with an extension to his loan spell.
Ben Crompton extends Tamworth loan spell
As per the club website, Ben Crompton will now remain with National League side Tamworth for the rest of the 2024/25 season.
The full-back has made ten appearances for Tamworth this season so far, including an incredibly impressive display against Spurs in the FA Cup.
Discussing the decision to extend Crompton’s stay with the Lambs, Academy Manager, Robin Nicholls said: “Ben has already contributed significantly for Tamworth and we’re delighted with some of the opportunities he’s been afforded.
“He played a role in securing victory over Burton Albion and then played the full 120 minutes in the live FA Cup game with Tottenham in which they competed to such an excellent standard. We hope Ben can build upon these experiences through the remainder of the season and return to SAFC having added a key piece of development into his pathway.”
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Will we ever see Ben Crompton play for Sunderland again?
Ben Crompton may be 21-years-old, but it does feel as though he may have already missed the boat at Sunderland; especially given the average age of the Sunderland squad already.
He’s impressed at non-league level, but the step up to the Championship — or even the Premier League, if things go right for the Black Cats this season — is absolutely huge, and something Crompton is surely not ready for.
It’s very unlikely Crompton will stay at Sunderland next season regardless, with another loan move likely — probably at League One level.
After that, who knows? But he’s going to have to develop very quickly if he wants to make it at the Stadium of Light. That said, Trai Hume does need an understudy, and it would be nice for another academy graduate to make a success of himself, wouldn’t it?