Two Signings Who Could Follow Brendan Galloway To Sunderland
Despite their financial woes and that awful sinking feeling following relegation, similar to the one felt when Leeds took a tumble down the divisions, Sunderland can still get out of trouble next season with the right signings.
True, they have no money to spend really, but the right signings are not always expensive and there are some players out there capable of playing at this level who would not cost the earth.
It’s nice to have young, up and coming players who can get better as the season goes on but the club have already made a move in that direction by signing Everton’s Brendan Galloway, potentially followed for the other side of the pitch by Tyias Browning too.
But even the best winners of this league such as Bournemouth and Newcastle in recent years have made sure that in their squad, they have players who know this division and players willing to battle it out over the extended 46 games.
Planning for a Premier League future is one thing but to achieve it you must have players right here, right now in the Championship and Sunderland may struggle with that. Here are two players who would definitely get the job done for them over the next 10 months.
Cameron Jerome (Norwich City)
It has already been a pre-season of major changes at Norwich City and while that will ultimately be good for the East Anglian side, it could also benefit one or two others. Sunderland need to quickly remember that the Championship is a league you need knowledge of if you want to get out of it, and Jerome has plenty of that.
He is a thoroughly decent striker, still going strong and to the surprise perhaps of some, he managed 16 league goals last season. That fact may have gone under the radar of many but not of the Sunderland hierarchy, who are known to have expressed an interest in Jerome, who is seen as someone who could provide the necessary firepower to take Sunderland back up.
Aiden McGeady (Everton)
Although stating that he would be open to a permanent move to Preston North End, where he spent last season on loan with Grayson, Everton winger Aiden McGeady may want to be involved in the promotion chase with a more established club as he clearly still possesses plenty of ability.
McGeady had an excellent season last term at Deepdale and can clearly do it in this division. The Republic of Ireland international winger has only one year left on his Everton deal and with the Merseysiders spending big this summer, they will be happy to get him off the wage bill.
A hugely impressive 8 goals and 9 assists came in the Championship last season for McGeady at Preston and similar figures for the 31-year-old this time around may well be the thing that could send Sunderland up.