Sunderland AFC News

Sunderland have received the positive news that Anthony Patterson is likely to stay at Sunderland until the end of the season.

Patterson has been linked to Tottenham Hotspur in recent weeks, but Spurs are now thought to be prepared to wait until the summer.

Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou has opted to rely on Fraser Forster while Guglielmo Vicario continues recovery from an ankle injury, instead of making a January move.

Patterson has also been linked with Manchester United. The Red Devils’ current second choice, Altay Bayindir, is set to leave, so they are in need of a replacement.

But Patterson himself has spoken about his desire to achieve promotion. He told the Sunderland Echo: “I think the aim is promotion this year for all the lads. It’s a great feeling around the club, the atmosphere in the dressing room is great, so it’s going well.”

However, if Patterson were to leave the Stadium of Light, who could Regis Le Bris look to bring in?

Guillaume Restes

Guillaume Restes is the latest goalkeeping prodigy from the French youth setup. The 19-year-old has played for the under-21s and under-23s and has kept six clean sheets in 15 league appearances for Toulouse this season.

He has conceded 17 goals and his save percentage is 67% this campaign. He is proactive and has an aggressive streak, which may suit the high intensity of English football.

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Restes also received the honour of carrying the Olympic torch at Paris 2024 and was part of the France squad which claimed a silver medal.

Kristjaan Speakman, Sporting Director at Sunderland, has a tendency to target players from the French leagues, so could continue this pattern. Adil Aouchiche, Salis Abdul Samed, Timothee Pembele and Eliezer Mayenda all came from French clubs.

Lukas Jensen

Millwall’s keeper Lukas Jensen has made an impressive start to life at the Den and was highly regarded during his time at Lincoln City. He secured a move to the championship for just £400k last summer, after making 45 appearances for the Imps.

Jensen has kept eight clean sheets this season and has conceded just 18 goals in 21 appearances for the Terriers. The Dane has conceded 0.86 goals per 90 minutes. Only Sheffield United’s Michael Cooper and Leeds’ Illan Meslier have a better record for keepers who have made five or more appearances

James Beadle

Another option is James Beadle, the Brighton loanee currently at Sheffield Wednesday. The Englishman has previously been described by Wednesday manager Danny Rohl as a ‘game-changer’.

Beadle has looked solid during his extended spell at the Owls; he was also on loan there during the 23/24 season. This season the England under-20 international has a 62% save percentage and has conceded 1.36 goals per 90, across 22 appearances.

The January transfer window is an exciting time for most clubs, and Sunderland have a real chance to do something special this season if they make the right moves in the New Year.

Sunderland are still right in the fight for promotion in the Championship after finding some good form once more, and Regis Le Bris has a great squad at his disposal.

As things stand, Le Bris has Sunderland on course for the Premier League, but the Black Cats will need to remain consistent, and there’s still room for improvement, too.

We know Le Bris would prefer to develop young players rather than signing new ones, but one or two new additions to the squad could make all the difference in the second half of the campaign.

Will Lankshear has to be a target for Sunderland

Sunderland fans agree a new striker is needed to take the team to the next level, and in Tottenham Hotspur’s Will Lankshear, the Black Cats could have the perfect signing.

The 19-year-old made quite the name for himself as his prolific form helped Tottenham’s youth side win the Premier League 2 title last season, and he’s now on the fringes of Ange Postecoglou’s first-team squad.

Postecoglou has named Lankshear as a player he ‘loves watching‘ in training, but while the youngster is likely to get minutes here and there this season, it may be better for his development to get regular game time on loan for the rest of the campaign.

Sunderland registered interest in Lankshear over the summer, but it is thought a change of heart at Spurs saw the striker stick around after it was expected he would depart on loan.

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It remains to be seen whether Spurs still feel the need to keep hold of him now, but if he is available, there are not many players better-suited to Sunderland’s needs.

Lankshear is a big, strong striker who offers impeccable hold-up play, but he’s also great with his feet, and could be exactly the kind of target man who can allow the likes of Jobe Bellingham and Chris Rigg to get amongst the goals, too.

Most importantly, though, Lankshear is brilliant in front of goal, and capable of scoring all kinds of different goals. With the kind of service he could expect from the wings and from Sunderland’s creative midfield, the Spurs man would surely bag an abundance of goals in the second tier.

Wilson Isidor needs support and competition to get back to his best

Sunderland actually have a lot of strikers in their squad, but only Wilson Isidor has shown any signs of providing enough goals to help the Black Cats win promotion.

Isidor’s goals have dried up of late, though, and he’s now gone six games without hitting the back of the net.

Still, Isidor was praised for his efforts in the win over Swansea City last weekend, and he will surely start firing again soon. The Frenchman just needs time, and more importantly, some proper competition to kick him into gear.

The January transfer window can be an exciting time, but it could be a worrying period for Sunderland as they desperately cling onto their best players.

After a strong start to the season, Sunderland looked destined for a surprise return to the Premier League in Regis Le Bris’ first year with the club.

However, the Black Cats have suffered a drastic dip in form of late and are now without a win in six matches, leaving them fourth in the Championship table.

We already know that Le Bris is putting an emphasis on developing young talent when it comes to his January plans, but that could all be derailed as rumours swirl surrounding one of his key players.

Anthony Patterson is a target for Manchester United

It would seem Sunderland are going to have a big fight on their hands to keep hold of their number one goalkeeper, Anthony Patterson.

According to the latest from the Daily Mail, Manchester United are keen to take a look at their roster of goalkeepers in the New Year, with current number two, Altay Bayindir, thought to be on his way out of Old Trafford.

As a result, United are looking to bring in a younger alternative to Tom Heaton, and have identified Sunderland stopper Patterson as an option. It is believed the Red Devils are keeping tabs on the 24-year-old in the run up to January.

We know Tottenham Hotspur have also targeted Anthony Patterson as a potential solution to their goalkeeping issues, with Guglielmo Vicario currently out injured.

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Sunderland have big decision to make if Anthony Patterson leaves

Sunderland rely on the ‘unbelievable’ Patterson so much, and if he were to depart in January it would leave a huge hole in Le Bris’ squad.

Whether Simon Moore and Blondy Nna Noukeu would be deemed strong enough to take over between the sticks for the second half of the campaign is up for debate, and Sunderland may end up looking at the market for a new goalkeeper themselves.

However, one Sunderland star out on loan could be the answer. Matty Young has just begun to excel at Salford after being given the chance to shine in the FA Cup, and the 18-year-old made an impressive league debut on Tuesday night, too.