There are often very raw, uncut gems hidden away in distant leagues, and it seems Sunderland has their eyes on a precious jewel that could be just what they need going forward.
Japanese striker Mao Hosoya is lighting up the J-League, and as the Black Cats search for a consistent goal scorer, he could be the surprise choice to land on Tyneside.
Sunderland Nation has reported that the 22-year-old, who is currently plying his trade for Kashiwa Reysol, has netted 17 times in just over 40 games. His talent has earned him a place on the Japan national team. His senior call-up comes after a stint in the under-21 set-up. Scoring 10 times in 17 appearances, he then grabbed his first goal for the full side.
His emergence will likely see him named in the Asia Cup squad. The tournament takes place through the middle to the latter part of January, so any deal would have to be done quite early if, as predicted, he is to star in Qatar.
Hosoya is a natural talent, and his ability to score goals will go against the recent grain that Sunderland has had when recruiting more wingers than outright forwards.
If Sunderland does not pursue the Japanese hotshot, they will still undoubtedly be in the market for someone similar. They have been linked again with AFC Wimbledon frontman Ali Al-Hamadi, but he too will likely feature in Qatar for Iraq.
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