TWO of Sunderland’s three most influential summer signings are only on loan with the Black Cats.

Does it matter? It might.

Those two players are, of course, French frontman Wilson Isidor and Wales international centre-back Chris Mepham, who are on loan from Russian club Zenit St Petersburg and Premier League side Bournemouth respectively.

Both joined on season-long loans, but the deals themselves are very different.

The clubs have agreed a fee for Isidor and it is understood his move will become permanent automatically if Sunderland are promoted, but if the Black Cats remain in the Championship they will have to decide for themselves whether to sign him.

What is not clear in the second scenario is whether the agreed price would still hold, or if Sunderland would miss out if a third club made Zenit a better offer.

Isidor has scored five goals already - including some spectacular finishes - and that will not have gone unnoticed by clubs in England and abroad, meaning his value on the open market will now be well above the price Sunderland have agreed.

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As for Mepham, his season-long deal will almost certainly include a recall clause that can be activated in January.

The danger for Sunderland is that his impressive form might attract interest from elsewhere and Bournemouth could recall Mepham and try to sell him in January.

To cut to the chase, Isidor and Mepham have been so important to Sunderland in the first third of the season that it might be wise to push to sign both men on permanent deals in January.

The January window is usually seen as an opportunity to bring in new players, or offload outcasts, but sometimes it is first worth exploring the options closer to home.

Along with Isidor and Mepham, Sunderland’s third influential signing has been midfielder Alan Browne.

Browne has added some valuable experience in midfield, albeit he has not been a regular starter due to the form of Jobe Bellingham, Chris Rigg, and Dan Neil, and the news this week that he now faces a couple of months on the sidelines after breaking a bone in his leg will come as a blow to Regis Le Bris.

Back at the beginning of September I wrote in this column that Sunderland’s summer transfer business was difficult to assess given the number of unknown quantities who had arrived on Wearside.

And beyond Isidor, Mepham, and Browne, question marks still remain over the rest of Sunderland’s summer intake.

Striker Aaron Connolly has a Championship pedigree but still looks some way from full match fitness, while winger Ian Poveda failed to make an impact in his three outings from the bench before picking up an injury which will rule him out until at least mid-December.

However, at least we have seen Connolly and Poveda in action.

So far, midfielder Milan Aleksic has progressed no further than a frequent role as an unused substitute, while forward Ahmed Abdullahi and on loan midfielder Salis Abdul Samed have yet to kick a ball for the club as they recover from injuries, and are not expected to return to training until the middle of next month at the earliest.

Three hits, two maybes, and three who have missed out altogether.

It’s the very definition of a mixed bag.

One of the hits is already signed up and I hope Sunderland act in January to make sure the other two are also brought on board.


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INTERNATIONAL break out of the way, the serious stuff returns this weekend as Sunderland head to Millwall.

Regis Le Bris faces a big test at The Den, without five regular outfield starters through injury and suspension.

He will have to reshuffle and fit square pegs in round holes in order to put together a coherent starting XI.

Just one plea from me - please don’t waste your most potent goal threat, Wilson Isidor, by shifting him out wide.