‘An exciting prospect’ – Sunderland eye January move for Preston player: The verdict | OneFootball

This article is part of Football League World’s ‘The Verdict’ series, which provides personal opinions from the FLW writers regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Sunderland are reportedly keen on Preston North End defender Jordan Storey.

That’s according to the Lancashire Evening Post, who have reported that the Black Cats and Ipswich Town have joined Sheffield Wednesday in the race to sign Storey on loan.

So would he be a good signing for Sunderland? And do they need him?

Our FLW writers share their thoughts…

Can you name which club Sunderland signed these 28 defenders from?

1 of 28

1. Dion Sanderson

Birmingham City Wolves Aston Villa West Brom

Chris Gallagher

This would be a smart signing for Sunderland.

They probably need another centre-back and in Storey, they would be getting a player who has done reasonably well in the Championship over the years, so he could thrive in the third tier. The current campaign has been a frustrating one for the 24-year-old, so he may welcome the chance to get back out playing regularly, which Sunderland could offer.

We all know how tough the January market can be, particularly for clubs competing for promotion as anyone who arrives needs to be able to make an instant impact in a side that are already doing well.

Therefore, it’s about reducing the risk and trying to find proven players. Given Storey’s pedigree, he fits the bill and would be a welcome boost to the Sunderland squad. So, they should be doing all they can to get this done as it could make a big difference in the promotion push.

Charlie Gregory

Sunderland would certainly benefit from adding Jordan Storey to their squad and I think he would be in contention for a first-team spot from the get-go.

He can – and has – played regularly for Preston in the Championship since joining them and would likely step in now in the event of an injury. For the Black Cats to sign him then would be an astute bit of business from them.

Whether PNE would let him leave is another question, purely because of a need for squad depth at the club. While there are options there and the potential for Bambo Diaby to join to help out, he is arguably still fourth in line for a starting spot at the back.

If Ryan Lowe does decide to let him leave though, then it would be a great deal for player and team. He could get involved in a promotion push and get regular game time, whilst Sunderland would have a second-tier level defender in their ranks.

Billy Mulley

Jordan Storey is still an exciting prospect that Preston fans will be eager to see in the first-team set up more regularly when deemed ready.

A loan spell with a club who have promotion ambitions in the tier below is something that could benefit all who are involved.

Storey would expect to see regular game time at the the top end of a competitive League One division, Preston would see a player on the fringes receive the game time to continue his progression, whilst Sunderland would get a player eager to impress.

This would be an excellent signing at Sunderland and would certainly drive competition levels at the Stadium of Light.

Storey has all the tools to succeed with Preston in the future, he just needs to see regular game time to prove himself.