Sunderland have just two games left of their 2023/24 Championship campaign and one eye is already on preparations for next season.
Black Cats interim head coach Mike Dodds has already revealed recruitment meetings have taken place ahead of the next campaign, hinting that the Wearsiders will be proactive at the top end of the pitch this summer.
Dodds admitted he was frustrated by the lack of an out and out goal scorer at the club after their recent 1-0 defeat to Millwall. The Black Cats have struggled for goals outside of Jack Clarke, with the four strikers on their books this season managing just three goals between them.
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“It is really frustrating – I can’t sit here and say that it’s not,” said Dodds. “I’ve tweaked and tinkered, and tried to find solutions for that area of the pitch. But it’s obvious that it’s an area of the pitch where, this summer, the club need to do some work around.
“I don’t think it’s necessarily a number nine that we need. If you look at last year, then you wouldn’t say we had a recognised number nine, but the season was relatively successful in terms of us getting to the play-offs.
“I don’t think the answer is that we have to go out and sign a number nine. I think the answer is that we need more quality in the top area of the pitch.
“For whatever reason, Patrick Roberts hasn’t had the same season he had last year, we obviously lost Amad Diallo and Joe Gelhardt, and when you’re taking those sort of players out of the top area of the pitch, then it’s going to have an impact.
“But I don’t think it’s a case of if we find a number nine, all of our problems will be solved. We need more depth. It’s not just a number nine issue. It might be an attacking midfielder that might be the answer to some of the questions we have. Or it might be a tactical thing.
“In recent weeks, we’ve looked a lot harder team to play against, but the missing ingredient is just that little bit of extra quality in the top end of the pitch. It’ll either be players we’ve got, where we need a summer working with them, or it’ll be other players coming in.”
We Are Sunderland understands the Black Cats have scouted 18-year-old Derby County striker Dajaune Brown ahead of the summer transfer window. The youngster is currently on loan with National League play-off side Gateshead, impressing in his first spell in senior football, scoring nine goals in 19 appearances for the Heed, after joining the Tynesiders on loan in January.
However, Sunderland aren't the only side on high alert, with Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United, Watford, West Brom, Blackburn and Sheffield Wednesday all keeping tabs on the promising young forward since his January move. Brown's contract expires with the Rams in 2026 having signed a three-year deal at the start of the current campaign.
Derby boss Paul Warne also wants to take a closer look at the 18-year-old forward when he returns to Pride Park and the end of his Gateshead loan spell. Brown has a stellar reputation at youth level, having been on the fringes of the Rams' first team set up over the last 12 months.
Brown is expected to be in action for Gateshead in their National League play-off clash with Solihull Moors on Tuesday night, before a Wembley appearance against the same opposition on May 11. It's unclear whether Sunderland view the youngster as a first-team acquisition, or one for their U21s, but it's one to keep an eye on should Brown continue to impress.
Sunderland youngster Matty Young will return to Wearside this week after completing his loan spell with Vanarama National League North side Darlington, where he won Darlo's Young Player of the Season award. Following in the footsteps of former Black Cats shot stopper, Jordan Pickford, who also enjoyed a loan spell with the Quakers, Young is tipped to followed suit and break into the red and white first team set-up.
We Are Sunderland understands Young, who helped England U18s to Pinatar Cup success in the last international break, has been scouted by Chelsea in recent weeks after helping Darlington secure their National League North status. Manchester City and Manchester United have also been linked with the Sunderland shot stopper, but it's expected he'll be given an opportunity to impress in the first team set-up at the Stadium of Light in pre-season.
Much of that could depend on the future of Anthony Patterson, who has been attracting the attention of Premier League side Liverpool as a replacement for Caoimhín Kelleher. The Reds' number two has been linked with a move to Scottish Premiership side Celtic, while Nottingham Forest are also said to be keen on a move for his services. Jurgen Klopp's side are said to view Patterson as an ideal replacement, having impressed between the sticks for Sunderland this season.
Dodds refused to rule out an opportunity for Young in the first team this summer, if he comes back with the right mindset this summer.
“Can Matty (Young) come back and challenge for a first-team goalkeeping spot next season? Yeah, why not,” said Sunderland’s interim head coach. “Chris Rigg is a first-year scholar, and I’ve played him against Southampton, Leicester and Leeds this season.
“I know people might say that the goalkeeping position is a bit different, but the ball is always in the player’s court. If he comes back and is unbelievable, then one thing that this football club has shown is that under this model and this ownership, they will give young players opportunities and will not be scared of that.
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“If he comes back, and he’s better than the current number one, whether that be Patto (Anthony Patterson) or whoever, then he’ll get an opportunity to play. If that opportunity is not there, then maybe it’ll be a case of looking at another loan.
“I understand the argument that goalkeepers can be hard debuts to give just because of the nature of the position or the pitch. But if you’re asking me from a personal perspective, then if I felt Matty was ready, psychologically and mentally to play at the Stadium of Light as a 17-year-old or 18-year-old, I wouldn’t have any qualms at all about playing him.
“The ball’s in his court. It depends on how good he is when he comes back in the summer, but he’s a wonderful player, and I think Matty Young has got a real chance. I think he could go all the way to the top, but like all young players, that’ll ultimately be dependent on how he manages his head.”
Young is still only 17-years-old but kept five clean sheets in 14 appearances with Darlington.
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