Talksport pundit tells Sunderland AFC to strike Ipswich Town transfer agreement.
Gabby Agbonlahor of talkSPORT believes that newly promoted Sunderland should target Ipswich Town winger Omari Hutchinson this summer.
Sunderland has acknowledged that, even though they would prefer to continue using the youth development strategies that helped them advance to the Premier League, they will probably need to change their strategy this summer and bring in new players with different skill sets. In an interview with BBC Radio Newcastle on Wednesday, Sporting director Kristjaan Speakman acknowledged as much.
Enzo Le Fee, who arrived from AS Roma for £20 million when Sunderland was promoted, has already surpassed Didier Ndong’s record of being the most expensive Black Cat acquisition ever made, which stood at £13 million. Keith Downie of Sky Sports believes there’s a good chance they’ll surpass £20 million this summer.
So, how do the people at the Stadium of Light go about assembling a Regis Le Bris team that can contend in the Premier League without totally upending the structure that owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus and manager Speakman have established over the last three or four years? Agbonlahor has one idea for a potential signer, though.
Gabby Agbonlahor claims a move for Sunderland and Omari Hutchinson.
The ex-Aston Villa forward believes Sunderland should try to sign Hutchinson, a 21-year-old winger for Ipswich.
After a loan stint with the team during their most recent promotion-winning season, the England under-21 made his permanent move from Chelsea to Portman Road for an initial £20 million less than a year ago.
Although he only contributed five goals directly to Kieran McKenna’s team last season, Agbonlahor believes Sunderland could chase Hutchinson, a talented player who was just demoted.
| Omari Hutchinson’s 24/25 Premier League stats | |
|---|---|
| Appearances | 31 |
| Starts | 30 |
| Goals | 3 |
| xG | 2.85 |
| Assists | 2 |
| Big chances created | 6 |
| Source: Sofascore | |
“The squad must be bolstered with [experience].” Is Sunderland able to maintain a clean and orderly workplace? Can they risk £30 million for players who might not work? And are they unable to locate Premier League players who have been demoted? Players who have left Ipswich or Leicester…
“Can you locate players like Hutchinson from Ipswich? The three promoted teams have a lot of work ahead of them, a lot of players to let go of, and a lot of experience to add.
It would be difficult for Sunderland to acquire Omari Hutchinson.
When Hutchinson joined the Tractor Boys, he signed a five-year contract, giving Ipswich complete control over his future. Given his significance to McKenna, it is unlikely that Town would actually allow him to leave for even a marginally decent fee, and Sunderland would undoubtedly need to break their new £20 million record in order to recruit him.
Instead, they may focus on Jack Clarke, an old friend of theirs who plays for Hutchinson at Portman Road.
Like the former Chelsea player, the 24-year-old paid £15 million to join Ipswich last summer, with an additional £5 million in add-ons, according to the BBC. However, he had trouble establishing himself in the Northern Irish manager’s system.
However, there is no denying his potential, and if Sunderland could arrange a loan move for him—which would be far more feasible than a deal for Hutchinson—Clarke would undoubtedly be welcomed back to Wearside.
Read more on sportupdates.co.uk
Leave a Reply