The ecstasy of Sunderland’s opening day win in the Premier League over West Ham United ended up being short-lived.
Regis Le Bris’ men have now had an almighty reality check dished out to them courtesy of fellow promoted rival Burnley, as Scott Parker’s Clarets humbled the confident Wearside outfit 2-0 at Turf Moor, despite losing their own opening contest on the road at Tottenham Hotspur.
Previously beaming from ear to ear after his side’s confident 3-0 victory over the Hammers, the Frenchman obviously cut a more forlorn figure at the full-time whistle in Lancashire, gutted that another three points couldn’t follow up his team’s heroics at the Stadium of Light.
This poor showing could prompt Sunderland to spend even more money in the transfer market, with more deals potentially being finalised before deadline day arrives.
Sunderland enter race for £30m transfer
The Wearside outfit will have to hurry to get any last-minute deals over the line, with the window slamming shut in just a week.
It does look as if they will lose out on snapping up Getafe star Christantus Uche, however, with Wolverhampton Wanderers reportedly closing in on a £17m move for the attacker, who was previously on the Black Cats’ radar.
This won’t stop them from pursuing other targets, though, with RB Salzburg forward Adam Daghmin one name tipped to be on their ever-expanding shopping list.
Alongside the promising 19-year-old, Sunderland are also now in the race to land Ajax midfield star Kenneth Taylor, according to a report from OnTheMinute.
The report states that the Mackems have emerged as surprise contenders for Taylor’s signature, with the 22-year-old attracting plenty of interest from the likes of Aston Villa, alongside Sunderland’s arch nemesis in Newcastle United.
It would cost any party a substantial £30m to win Taylor, with Le Bris’ side just waiting in the wings in case an opportunity arises to go after yet another statement purchase.
Why Taylor signing might bench Diarra
Picking up the Ajax number 8 at the last minute might result in new signing Habib Diarra having to make do with minutes on the substitutes bench moving forward, despite already impressing in spurts on English soil.
Of course, with Diarra joining for a club-record £30m just this summer, he is unlikely to be a permanent member of the bench, but after putting in a shoddy showing against Burnley, Le Bris might well feel unconvinced by the 21-year-old’s ability to hold down a consistent starting spot.
Indeed, he witnessed Diarra fail to register a single shot at the Clarets’ goal, on top of seeing the weak midfielder only win one duel from six battles.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
This is where Taylor could come into Le Bris’ starting XI and shine, having shown over many a season now at Ajax a similar hunger to score and assist for fun – like Diarra – which could see him suit that more advanced central role in the Black Cats lineup perfectly, alongside the more defensive Granit Xhaka.
Indeed, across a mammoth 168 first-team appearances for the Eredivisie giants – which is quite the tally considering Taylor is still only 23 – the five-time Netherlands international has amassed a sturdy haul of 34 goals and 23 assists.
In contrast, from a slightly lesser 102 games at former side RC Strasbourg, Taylor’s Senegalese counterpart tallied up 11 goals and ten assists, with the numbers below further reinforcing why £30m would be a worthwhile amount to splash on the 6-foot ace to further enhance Le Bris’ options in the middle of the park.
Games played
33
30
Goals scored
9
4
Assists
6
5
Touches*
46.1
43.5
Accurate passes*
27.9 (83%)
26.3 (87%)
Total duels won*
3.5
3.3
When comparing their league numbers across last season, Taylor regularly trumps the brand new Sunderland number 19, with more duels won per game, standing the 23-year-old in good stead for a challenging relegation battle to come.
Having once been branded as a “revelation” by ex-Ajax manager Aad De Mos when commenting on his success story in the senior side at the Johan Cruyff Arena, it will be intriguing to see whether Taylor can seamlessly fit in a similar fashion in England when his boyhood team is stripped away from him.
If he hops over that hurdle effortlessly, he might well be an immediate first-teamer under Le Bris, with Diarra perhaps having to drop out subsequently.
