Sunderland have been tipped to win the race for Peterborough United winger Kwame Poku by Sky Sports pundit Lee Hendrie.
The Black Cats are one of a number of teams in the hunt to sign the 23-year-old, who will depart the Weston Homes Stadium this summer. His contract at Peterborough will expire next month, but Posh will still be entitled to a transfer fee due to the player’s age.
A number of clubs have been touted with interest, including League One champions Birmingham City and Scottish giants Celtic and Rangers. It is Birmingham who had appeared to be the frontrunners though, with Barry Fry insisting it may be the best move for the attacker due to the financial package on offer.
The Blues discovered they faced major competition for his signature earlier this week though, when it emerged that Sunderland and Sheffield United had joined the battle.
Hendrie Claims Sunderland Favourites To Land Poku
Sunderland ended their eight-year stay outside the Premier League last week when they triumphed in the Championship play-off final over Sheffield United at Wembley Stadium. It’s this fact that Hendrie believes makes the Wearsiders the favourites to land Poku this summer. Speaking to Football League World, the former Aston Villa midfielder said:
“I think Poku is a really, really good player. He’s a young player who has got bags of ability, but obviously there are a lot of clubs that are sniffing around him, like Sunderland and Sheffield United.
“Birmingham are a team like Wrexham, who are newly promoted. I think they’ve got to bring in the right personnel who know the league and have got potential to go again. That’s what Birmingham and Wrexham will be looking to do this season.
“I think Poku would be a great addition for them. But there are clubs that definitely want to sign this young man. If Sunderland come in with an offer, you would think that being in the Premier League is the ultimate aim for some of these guys.
“If Birmingham have that drive, which I think they will have next season, it wouldn’t be a bad thing for Poku to go to there knowing that he’ll play football week in, week out.
“But on the flip side, after Sunderland’s promotion to the Premier League, they need players. If Poku had to choose out of the two, it wouldn’t surprise me if he picked Sunderland.”
Writer’s View
Poku is a phenomenal talent but there’s no doubting that the jump from League One to the Premier League is a huge one. Sunderland clearly feel it’s one Poku can make though, although Birmingham believe that they possess the tools to join them in the top tier in 12 months’ time. Still, aside from the offer of top tier football, the Black Cats are one of the country’s biggest clubs and that may also give them the edge.
