Sunderland: £29k-p/w Black Cats target could be Clarke's dream partner

Speakman could land dream Clarke partner in SAFC swoop for “exceptional” 5 ft 8 whiz. The promising ace might be signed by Kristjaan Speakman at the beginning of the following year.

Sunderland has had a strong start to the 2023–24 season and is still in the running to make the playoffs for the second consecutive year.

Despite their most recent 4-0 loss to Middlesbrough, the Black Cats sit fourth after 11 games and nine points behind Ipswich Town, who are now in second place.

Last season, Tony Mowbray’s team lost to Luton Town in the play-off semifinals; this year, they’ll want to avenge that loss and advance to the Premier League.

To increase the club’s chances of succeeding, sporting director Kristjaan Speakman actively sought out players to improve the manager’s team during the summer transfer window.

They were all hired either permanently or on loans, including Jenson Seelt, Jobe Bellingham, Nectarios Triantis, Eliezer Mayenda, Luis Semedo, Bradley Dack, Timothee Pembele, Adil Aouchiche, Mason Burstow, Nazariy Rusyn, and Nathan Bishop.

Currently in fourth place, the club’s operations appear to be having the desired impact, although they are apparently considering another acquisition ahead of the January transfer window.

What’s the latest on Amad Diallo to Sunderland?

The Manchester United teenager, who would be an ideal teammate for Jack Clarke, is wanted back at the Stadium of Light by the Black Cats, according to a recent report from TEAMtalk.

According to the report, the preseason knee injury sustained by the former Atalanta star prevented him from leaving Old Trafford this summer.

The gifted player is now prepared to leave the Premier League club, though, and Sunderland is aiming to win a loan contract for his talents for the second half of the 2023–24 season.

Additionally, it is said that the Red Devils are willing to approve a short-term transfer for the former Rangers loanee, suggesting that Erik ten Hag does not currently have him in mind for the first squad.

According to TEAMtalk’s report, there is optimism that Speakman and Mowbray will be able to re-sign him for a second stint on Wearside given his standout efforts for the team last season.

The young star’s return to the red and white is far from certain, though, as it is unknown how many other teams would be interested in signing him and what level of football he could play instead of returning to the Championship.

How many goals did Diallo score for Sunderland?

The 21-year-old wizard scored 14 goals for the Black Cats in all competitions during his loan stint in the 2022–23 season under Mowbray’s leadership.

As Sunderland was able to make the most of the United loanee, it was the most goals he had ever scored in a single season in his first-team career.

He had a disappointing stint with Rangers in Scotland before coming to the Stadium of Light. In 13 games for the Light Blues, Diallo scored three goals but did not record any assists.

Despite his lack of form for the Scottish giants, the Black Cats gambled on the 5 foot 8 teenager, and it paid off handsomely for the English team.

Last season, Diallo had an outstanding season for the team and was nominated for the Championship’s Young Player of the Year award, which ultimately went to Alex Scott of Bristol City.

The Ivory Coast international, whose abilities were described as “exceptional” by journalist Josh Bunting, made contributions with 14 goals and three assists in 29 league starts for Sunderland, making him the team’s leading scorer for the 2022–23 season – with four more goals than any of his teammates.

Last season, he was among the top five players for the Black Cats in terms of shots taken (1.9), opportunities created (one), and dribbles completed (1.9) per game, demonstrating how crucial he was to every facet of the attacking setup.

How many goals has Jack Clarke scored this season?

By signing a contract for Diallo in January, Speakman might provide Sunderland’s top scorer Clarke, who has scored seven league goals, with the ideal companion.

The 22-year-old prodigy, who is now tied for the league’s top scorer in the Championship, has drawn attention with 2.1 crucial passes and three ‘big chances’ generated in 11 games.

His outstanding performance this season follows a 2022–23 season in which he made 46 starts and recorded a total of nine goals and 12 assists, five more than any of his colleagues.

These numbers demonstrate the former Tottenham Hotspur star’s ability to consistently contribute goals and assists at this level, making him a serious threat that defenses must contend with.

At this level, the English dynamo knows how to set up his teammates’ opportunities, and the Manchester United prodigy has the finishing ability to take advantage of them.

Should Sunderland sign Diallo?

As a result, the Black Cats must sign Diallo in January because he and Clarke may form a formidable duo at the top of the field and provide continual issues for opposing defenses.

He was Sunderland’s leading scorer last season with 14 goals, and he played the majority of his games as a right winger for the team.

Patrick Roberts, the right winger for Mowbray at the moment, has yet to score a goal or record an assist in nine Championship games this season.

Roberts has not been able to fully utilize the young whiz’s flanking ingenuity, as Clarke has given his teammates 23 opportunities and three “big chances.”

The former Manchester City attacker has already wasted three “big chances” this year and hasn’t provided the Black Cats with any real threat at the top of the pitch.

This is the reason Sunderland needs to sign Diallo, as the £29k per week wizard has already shown he can score goals for the team at this level at a rate that is astonishing.

With Clarke and other familiar players, including the manager, he could rejoin the club right once and resume his deadly partnership with the former Spurs kid on the field.