Sunderland have made a bid for Norwich City, Stoke City and Sheffield United target Tom Cannon, according to Telegraph journalist John Percy.
The 21-year-old Leicester City striker has been the subject of transfer speculation this window, and with less than a week left before the deadline, many clubs are scrambling to get business done.
Sunderland have reportedly bid a fee of around £5 million for the striker, with Norwich, Stoke and Sheffield United also expected to make offers before Friday.
Cannon began his career at Premier League club Everton and later enjoyed a successful loan period at Preston North End in the Championship, where he netted eight goals and provided one assist in 21 appearances. He joined relegated side Leicester City last summer but has since only featured 16 times for the club. He has scored three times and has assisted a further two. However, it seems Leicester now want to move the Irish international on, with many Championship clubs interested in his services.
The Black Cats have been searching for a striker throughout the window, and have seemingly failed in their pursuit of 30-year-old striker Alexandre Mendy, who was top scorer in the French second tier last season. Despite Mendy being interested in the move, a deal between SM Caen and Sunderland was not able to be agreed. New manager Regis Le Bris is now left with minimal options upfront and is scrambling for a new striker before the window shuts. His situation isn’t helped by the departure of star player Jack Clarke, who has made the move to recently promoted Premier League side Ipswich Town. It has been a relatively quiet transfer window on Wearside, with only five incomings at the Stadium of Light. However, this hasn’t hindered Sunderland on the pitch, with the side currently sitting top of the table, winning all three league games so far.
Norwich City’s fortunes on the pitch haven’t been as good as Sunderland’s, with the Canaries sitting just above the relegation zone three games in. New manager Johannes Hoff Thorup has had a difficult window, with key players such as Gabriel Sara and Jonathan Rowe leaving the club. American international Josh Sargent is the only senior striker at the club, and although they have brought in a young understudy in the form of Ante Crnac, they still need a few more recruits before the window closes next Friday.
Stoke are aiming to improve on last season’s 17th-place finish and have already strengthened their striker position. Sam Gallagher and Lewis Koumas have been brought in at the Bet 365 Stadium to help ease their goalscoring woes.
Sheffield United have undoubtedly had a strong window, as they prepare for life back in the second tier. Chris Wilder’s side may not be back very long, however, with the window proving to be kind. Although the Blades were deducted two points for breaching financial rules, they remain unbeaten three games into the season. Like Stoke, they have strengthened the striker position. William Osula and Daniel Jebbison both left Bramall Lane to return to the Premier League, and they have been replaced by Kieffer Moore, Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, and Tyrese Campbell, three players who have all made the move to Yorkshire.
Writer’s View
It is clear some clubs need an established striker more than others. Sunderland are currently relying on their youth to provide the goods, and so far they have, but it will be one massive disappointment if they can’t get a striker over the line before the deadline. They have set the standards by putting in a bid for Cannon. Other Championship teams will now be pressured into putting in a bid of their own, for some sooner than expected.
Norwich are also in need of a striker, with the aforementioned Sargent being the only striker at the club with any kind of EFL experience. They are another club that desperately need bodies through the door to be competitive again. In Stoke and Sheffield United’s case, they both have strikers already at the club who are capable of scoring, as seen so far in the season. Steven Schumacher has the experience of Gallagher and the youth of Koumas, whilst Wilder has a couple of strikers who are more than capable of scoring at this level.
Be the first to comment