Why Sunderland AFC should sign Omari Hutchinson from Ipswich Town - there are 3 clear reasons | OneFootball

We looked at three reasons why Sunderland should take Gabby Agbonlahor's advice and sign Ipswich Town winger Omari Hutchinson.

Sunderland are preparing for life back in the Premier League after their promotion from the Championship.

Sunderland spent much of the campaign sitting in fourth place in the Championship, but they were relatively unfancied heading into the play-offs after a run of five consecutive defeats at the end of the regular season.

However, after overcoming Coventry City in dramatic fashion in their semi-final, the Black Cats secured promotion with a 2-1 win over Sheffield United in the final at Wembley, with late goals from Eliezer Mayenda and Tommy Watson turning the game around for the Wearside outfit after Tyrese Campbell gave the Blades the lead in the first half.

Sunderland have already completed one signing this summer, with Enzo Le Fee joining the club on a permanent basis from Roma for a club-record fee of around £20 million, and having agreed a deal to sell Jobe Bellingham to Borussia Dortmund for an initial fee of £27.8 million, there could be further big-money arrivals at the Stadium of Light over the coming months.

When discussing the club's chances of survival next season, talkSPORT pundit Gabby Agbonlahor suggested last week that the Black Cats should make a move for Ipswich Town winger Omari Hutchinson, who suffered relegation from the top flight with Kieran McKenna's side last term.

As Agbonlahor's claim continues to cause debate among the Sunderland fan base, we looked at three reasons why the club should pursue a deal for Hutchinson this summer.

Question marks over Patrick Roberts

One of the biggest challenges for any manager after winning promotion to the Premier League is deciding which players are good enough to make the step-up, and Sunderland boss Regis Le Bris will have some tough calls to make over the coming weeks.

Patrick Roberts helped to change the game for the Black Cats in the play-off final after being introduced from the bench, but it was not the greatest of seasons for the 28-year-old, who scored just two goals and provided eight assists in 48 appearances.

Roberts produced even fewer goal contributions in the 2023-24 campaign, failing to score a single goal and registering just two assists in 32 games, so these last two years have raised big question marks over whether the winger will be able to deliver in the top flight.

Should Le Bris decide an upgrade is needed on Roberts, Hutchinson could be the perfect option to replace him on the right, and as he is seven years younger than the ex-Manchester City man, his pace could be a big threat for Sunderland on the counter.

Premier League experience

Sunderland had the youngest squad in the Championship last season with an average age of just 23.6, and few of their current players have ever experienced Premier League football before.

The three teams that were relegated from the top flight this season - Leicester City, Ipswich and Southampton - all decided against recruiting players with experience of the division last summer, and it proved to be a major mistake as they went down without a fight.

Of course, Hutchinson is still incredibly young in age terms, and his season in Premier League ended negatively as he suffered relegation with the Tractor Boys, but he will no doubt have learned a lot from his time playing at the highest level, while his experience of a survival battle could come in useful for the Black Cats, who may find themselves at the wrong end of the table next term.

Sunderland will not want to move too far away from a recruitment model that has worked so well for them over the years, but experience will be needed this summer, and as a young player with 32 top flight appearances under his belt for Ipswich and Chelsea, Hutchinson could potentially tick all the boxes.

After coming through the academy at Stamford Bridge, Hutchinson went on to make two first-team appearances for Chelsea, while he was called up to the England Under-21 squad for the first time last August, and he has also won two senior caps for Jamaica.

Hutchinson scored 11 goals and provided six assists in 50 games to help Ipswich to automatic promotion from the Championship in the 2023-24 season, which was enough to convince the club to pay £20 million to sign him permanently last summer.

The winger may have only chipped in with five goal contributions in the Premier League last season, but he was one of few players to emerge with any credit from the Tractor Boys' disappointing relegation campaign, which is underlined by the fact that pundits like Agbonlahor are tipping him for move back to the top flight this summer.

Of course, Ipswich would likely want to make a profit on Hutchinson, meaning Sunderland may need to break their transfer record to land his services, but given his potential, if Le Bris can develop him in the same way he has with many of the club's existing youngers, the fee could look like something of a bargain in a few years time.