Joe Nicholson believes that Sunderland are in the market to sign two new strikers.
The Black Cats will have already drawn up their plans for the January transfer window before Ellis Simms was snatched from their grasp by his parent club Everton and now they may have had to relook at what they want to do.
Prior to Simms leaving Sunderland it was likely the Black Cats would’ve gone for a new striker given they only had Simms and Ross Stewart to call upon, so now they may well have to double down on their striker search.
Simms has been mooted to make a sensational return to the Stadium of Light later this month by Nicholson which would ease the burden on Stewart but with so many games still to play this season as well as an FA Cup journey, surely Tony Mowbray will want more attacking bodies than he started the window with.
Nicholson has echoed this by claiming on The Roar podcast that Sunderland are indeed in the market for a striker on loan as well as one on a permanent basis.
He said: (8:40) “I think now that Simms has gone back to Everton they need two more strikers, from what we’ve heard one will be a loan and one could be a permanent.
“Remember Tony Mowbray said after the Blackpool game on New Year’s Day he felt a few were close but nothing’s obviously happened since then, we think they might be looking at one permanent deal for a younger player that could happen in this window.
Do you want Simms to return?
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“Someone that could develop into more of a first-team striker and then potentially the second one on loan and that could even be Ellis Simms coming back at the end of the month, Mowbray has said that they can’t really wait until the end of the month to see what the situation is because Everton may want to keep him.”
TIF Thoughts on Sunderland’s striker search…
If Sunderland are to make a push for the play-offs, something that may have been unrealistic at the beginning of the season, then Mowbray will know he will need more than just Stewart to call upon.
This isn’t because Stewart isn’t good enough as he certainly is having netted nine goals in just 11 league appearances this season as well as taking League One by storm last time out, but he sustained a rather serious injury earlier in the campaign which will have to be managed.
Stewart will have to ensure he manages his body well enough to last the whole season and the best way he and Sunderland can do that is by signing one or two new strikers and ensuring he can be subbed off when games are settled or can be rested in slightly more winnable matches.