Black Cats may have signed £7.5m Burstow improve

Sunderland pulled off one of many shock outcomes of the season to date, thrashing Southampton 5-0 on the Stadium of Mild final weekend.

The Black Cats managed to place 5 previous one of many promotion favourites to the bewilderment of many having solely netted four times within the fixtures prior.

Regardless of discovering their goal-scoring contact right here, supporters had been left upset late on within the window as star striker Ross Stewart coincidentally joined the Saints, leaving them mild on high quality choices within the ahead line.

The Scotsman provided ten objectives in 13 begins final season and if it wasn’t for a prolonged spell on the sidelines, may have fired Tony Mowbray’s aspect to automated promotion.

With Stewart out the door for a reported payment of £8m, a confirmed Championship striker was wanted to fill his void however on this local weather, these are onerous to seek out and Sunderland had been made to accept a deadline seize of striker Mason Burstow on a season-long loan from Chelsea.

Who’s Mason Burstow?

Burstow is a promising 20-year-old striker who was named on the bench in Chelsea’s season opener towards Liverpool.

Extra lately, he has was introduced off the bench of their 3-1 defeat towards West Ham, and once more of their victory over Luton City.

Burstow made his full debut for the Blues of their Carabao Cup conflict towards Wimbledon final Wednesday evening and joins the membership with hopes of setting the Championship alight, to the idea of Sunderland Sporting Director Kristjaan Speakman.

He said: “Mason is likely one of the brightest younger centre forwards on the cusp of the Premier League surroundings and he’s a participant that we have now monitored for a while.

“Mason is a cell quantity 9 with expertise within the EFL and he has had a extremely constructive influence on Chelsea’s first-team squad this summer season, so we’re excited to see the influence he could make in our crew.”

Whereas enormous reward has been directed in the direction of Burstow, he’s but to totally justify his hype at senior degree having failed to attain in his mortgage spell at Charlton Athletic final season which may make Sunderland remorse not shifting for Tom Cannon, who swatted away the Black Cats’ interest to affix Leicester Metropolis on deadline day for £7.5m.

How good is Tom Cannon?

Sunderland had been one in every of a number of Championship golf equipment eyeing up a transfer for Tom Cannon this summer season however had been overwhelmed to his signature by Leicester’s conflict chest.

Cannon’s inventory has rapidly risen since January having impressed throughout a mortgage spell at Preston North Finish, netting eight instances in 20 appearances.

For the reason that departure of Stewart, Sunderland have misplaced their full ahead, who just isn’t solely clever sufficient to drop deep and hyperlink play successfully but additionally possesses the tempo to run in-behind, latch onto by way of balls and end with aplomb.

The 20-year-old is of an analogous mould to Stewart as demonstrated by his capacity to bully defenders along with his bodily attributes and stay composed in entrance of aim, recording 1.24 profitable take-ons, 1.13 photographs on the right track and 0.43 non-penalty objectives per 90, as per FBref.

Cannon can be the point of interest in assault, the one who’s going to set off the press and stop the opposition from enjoying out of the again. Throughout his spell on the Lilywhites, he showcased his capacity to win the ball again excessive on a constant foundation, inserting within the top 1% of forwards within the Championship for passes blocked and the highest 16% for tackles within the attacking third.

Following his transfer to Deepdale, journalist Josh Bunting described Cannon as a “threat” and he actually demonstrated that on quite a few events for the Lilywhites, with the clip above highlighting the teen coming alive within the field to showcase his excellent ending attributes.

Though Sunderland had been unable to stump up the £7.5m to carry Cannon to the Stadium of Mild, he would have undoubtedly aided Sunderland’s promotion bid and been an enormous improve on their signing of Burstow.