Sunderland made the difficult decision to relieve former head coach Tony Mowbray from his duties at the beginning of December but the new Birmingham City boss could come back to haunt his old club before the January transfer window slams shut.
According to a report from The Telegraph, via Sunderland AFC News, Mowbray is eyeing up a winter swoop for Alex Pritchard, with the attacking midfielder’s contract set to expire at the end of the current campaign.
The ex-Huddersfield Town star has been with the Black Cats since the beginning of the 2021/22 season and has helped the Wearside club return to the Championship and played a key role in the side’s newfound objective of earning promotion to the Premier League for the first time in seven years.
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Since moving to the Stadium of Light in 2021, Pritchard has scored nine goals and registered 25 assists in 119 appearances. 11 of these 34 goal contributions came during Mowbray’s time in charge of the club over 53 matches.
Birmingham City find themselves in a difficult position this season, following Wayne Rooney’s disastrous appointment at St. Andrew’s. The Midlands are sitting 20th in the Championship, merely seven points above the relegation zone.
Mowbray was the man that the board appointed to save the Blues from this mess and now the ex-Celtic head coach is reportedly keen to sign Pritchard who has entered into the final six months of his deal with Sunderland.
The 30-year-old is Sunderland’s top assister this season, having recorded five assists in all competitions under both Mowbray and Michael Beale but there is little indication that the Black Cats are working on a new deal for the playmaker.
Writer’s View
This could be a really good piece of business by Birmingham City. Pritchard has merely six months remaining on his current deal and may be interested in hearing offers from potential suitors given the uncertainty around his future at the Stadium of Light.
Furthermore, no Birmingham player boasts more assists this season than Pritchard who would help alleviate the creative burden from Juninho Bacunha. Additionally, Pritchard has a market value of just under £1.3 million so Mowbray could snatch his former player for a decent price before the January transfer window closes.
Deputy Head of Writing
