Sunderland fans have had an exhausting summer as the reality of the Premier League dawns on them.
By the time Sunderland’s opening against West Ham United arrives, Regis Le Bris’ starting lineup may look considerably different from the playoff final victory over Sheffield United, with Jobe Bellingham and Tommy Watson already absent.
Furthermore, there will undoubtedly be a plethora of fresh faces seeking for playing time after joining the newly promoted club, with Marcin Bulka perhaps taking over first-team goalkeeping responsibilities from Anthony Patterson if he joins from OGC Nice.
According to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, the Black Cats have begun negotiations about a prospective deal for the Polish goalkeeper, as they look to beat out a long list of other bidders.
He may not be the only defensive recruit to provide competition this summer, as Sunderland are now in a hunt to sign a quality centre-back.
Sunderland in the race to recruit a £7 million defender
According to OnTheMinute, Sunderland are still interested in signing 21-year-old defender Saba Goglichidze.
Despite his current club’s recent relegation from Serie A, the Empoli centre-back is drawing a lot of attention, with the source claiming that the Black Cats’ biggest rivals, Newcastle United, and another Premier League team Nottingham Forest, are also interested in the Georgian.
It’s even been suggested that the Tricky Trees are preparing to make a £7 million deal for the 6-foot-4 colossus, with OnTheMinute reporting that a proposal in this range could be enough to convince Empoli to sell their greatest asset.
Sunderland will be hoping to gain an advantage in this race, with Goglichidze’s probable arrival – on top of Bulka stepping through the door – definitely boosting Le Bris & Co. at the back as they prepare for their uphill Premier League climb.
How Goglichidze Could Shine With Bulka
After all, the footage above from Goglichidze’s time at Empoli show that he is unafraid of the bright lights of the top level.
Indeed, the up-and-coming 21-year-old has sparked interest from AC Milan and Juventus, with his sparkling form in Italy resulting in a solitary assist from 33 league encounters last season, in addition to bravely battling away for his basement side with an average of 3.9 duels won.
With four league clean sheets to his name, it’s clear that Goglichidze is destined for bigger and better things than relegation to Italy’s second division, and with Bulka behind him in the sticks, he could look even more confident and assured knowing he has a top-tier shot-stopper on his team.
Across his four seasons between the posts for Nice, the dependable Pole has managed to keep 30 clean sheets, with 18 of those coming last season. To put things in context, Patterson’s individual season would end with a 14 instead of a 15, despite playing 45 games.
| Sunderland’s league numbers when they were last relegated (16/17) | |
|---|---|
| Stat | Sunderland |
| Games played | 38 |
| Goals scored | 26 |
| Goals conceded | 69 |
| Goal difference | -40 |
| Sourced by Transfermarkt | |
Although that is still a respectable total, Southampton, the defending playoff champions before Sunderland’s historic moment at Wembley, have just given up 86 goals while sagging at the bottom of the division, which is 17 more than the Black Cats gave up during their most recent top flight relegation nightmare. This raises serious concerns about the dramatic improvement in quality.
Given that the Black Cats allowed a record 44 goals last season, the Saints’ apparent porousness may be raising red flags for Le Bris and company right now. Remarkably, Burnley and Leeds United combined for just 46 goals conceded.
Football talent scout Jacek Kulig even went so far as to call the 21-year-old a “wonderful” talent, suggesting that the entrance of new blood in the form of Saba Goglichidze and his possible new Polish partner may be exactly what the recently promoted squad needs.
Although Sunderland’s journey ahead will be tumultuous, survival may be possible if Le Bris can work his magic on this new defense combination.
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