Sunderland Must Ensure £1.2m Striker Is Not The Club’s Only Signing In January

Sunderland must ensure £1.2m striker is not the club’s only signing in January

The Black Cats have been linked with a swoop for AFC Wimbledon’s Ali Al-Hamadi in January, but they cannot just make him their only addition

Sunderland’s recent defeats have exposed flaws in their squad, highlighting the need for January transfers to address these weaknesses.

The club’s recruitment policy prioritizes young players, as reflected in their starting lineup which had only three players over the age of 23.

While a young striker like Ali Al-Hamadi could be a potential signing, Sunderland also need reinforcements in defensive midfield and defense, as well as more experienced players in certain positions.

Despite a promising start to the 2023-24 season, Sunderland are showing that they still have some flaws in their squad that need to be addressed in January.

The Black Cats had a great run to the Championship play-offs last season, and they continued on their model of signing young, hungry players with not only plenty of potential, but also players that can immediately slot into the first-team picture.

 

After going on a five-match unbeaten run earlier on in the campaign, things looked to be pretty rosy at the Stadium of Light, but three defeats in succession has exposed Sunderland’s soft underbelly at times.

Granted, there has been varying factors for the losses, with the 4-0 drubbing by North East rivals Middlesbrough only coming after a Dan Neil red card, whilst despite a 1-0 defeat on the road at league leaders Leicester City on Tuesday night, they really took the game to the Foxes and could’ve easily gotten something out of it.

 

Mowbray’s squad though is still lacking a certain something to perhaps take them to the next level, but what the Wearsiders will not be doing in the January transfer window is adding plenty of experience to their ranks.

The recruitment policy is very clear now under owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus – aside from a couple of outliers such as Bradley Dack – that young players are the name of the game when it comes to signings.

Sunderland had just three players in their starting 11 against Leicester over the age of 23, and the hierarchy clearly want to keep progressing with their plans as they got rid of the likes of Danny Batth over the summer and they were happy to see Alex Pritchard leave if the right offer came in.

And they are seemingly already on the hunt for fresh faces, and it won’t be a shock to know that the player they have been linked with is only 21 years of age.

The player in question is AFC Wimbledon striker Ali Al-Hamadi, who the club have reportedly been out to scout recently as the Dons took on Barrow in League Two action.

 

Who is Ali Al-Hamadi?

 

Al-Hamadi, who has been capped nine times for Iraq’s national team, only made the move to Wimbledon in January from Wycombe Wanderers, but a fantastic first half-season at Plough Lane saw him score 10 times in 19 appearances.

That has led to the Londoners slapping a hefty price-tag on Al-Hamadi, with Sunday Mirror Sports Editor Darren Witcoop claiming in August that they want in excess of £1.2 million for the young forward.

Sunderland aren’t exactly short on strikers when all fit, with Mason Burstow loaned in from Chelsea and then the permanent additions of Luis Semedo, Nazariy Rusyn and Eliezer Mayenda over the summer too, but they are still struggling for a consistent source of goals aside from Jack Clarke’s contributions.

In fairness, Rusyn hasn’t had much chance yet but it isn’t a shock if Sunderland are looking for another striker in January, and Al-Hamadi certainly looks as though he has the physical attributes to perhaps step up to the Championship.

But that cannot be Sunderland’s only signing of January – they need more in certain areas of the pitch and perhaps even a more experienced striker ahead of Al-Hamadi.

Where else do Sunderland need to strengthen in January?

The defensive midfield area is a real worry as Mowbray only has Pierre Ekwah and Dan Neil to choose from, with Chris Rigg more of a box-to-box type and Corry Evans still recovering from a long-term injury.

 

Mowbray could need something else in defence as well – Dan Ballard and Luke O’Nien are solid enough but the fact that Jenson Seelt and Nectarios Triantis have barely been used yet suggests that they may not be fully ready for Championship action.

 

Yes, goalscoring and strikers are an issue right now, but Louis-Dreyfus needs to give Mowbray more help in other areas of the pitch, and there may just be a need for more experience as well in particular positions.