Jill Scott tips Sunderland for Harry Kane transfer swoop with hilarious on-air comment | OneFootball

Sunderland continue to miss the presence of Ross Stewart as the club's chances of making the play-offs this season fade.

Tony Mowbray's side find themselves on a run of one win in their last seven fixtures, which has seen them slip to 11th and seven points adrift of the top-six.

Stewart is set to miss the rest of the season through an Achilles injury, which has piled pressure onto the shoulders of Leeds United loanee, Joe Gelhardt. The 20-year-old has a goal and two assists in 10 appearances since making the move from Elland Road, but has struggled to lead the line with the same presence Stewart does.

It's not a secret that Sunderland's squad isn't full of other options at the sharp end of the pitch, with Stewart sidelined and Gelhardt not that traditional No.9 a 4-2-3-1 system needs.

Underlining that case over the weekend was former Lioness, Jill Scott, who was appearing on Channel 4's coverage of England's 2-0 win over Ukraine in the second of their EURO 2024 qualifiers.

Conversation post-match had drifted onto Harry Kane and the big decision he faces on his future at club level come the summer, potentially leaving Tottenham. Joe Cole and Steven Gerrard were locked in the debate alongside Scott, who couldn't help but throw Sunderland's name into the ring when it comes to signing the striker.

“Sunderland are looking for strikers," the Sunderland-born pundit quipped live-on-air. “He’s such a fantastic player.

"He’s got it all. When he’s playing for England he’s very focused and it’s the same for his club.

"As these guys say, he’s got a big decision (coming) this summer."

Sunderland are back in action on Friday night looking to address their recent slump at Burnley. That's a task that's particularly daunting, with Vincent Kompany's table-toppers only three wins away from sealing promotion back to the Premier League.

The Verdict

Obviously Scott's comments are tongue-in-cheek, with Sunderland having no chance of landing Kane's signature in the summer.

He's going to be bound for one of the Manchester clubs or a top European club if he leaves Tottenham.

What it does, though, is underline Sunderland's struggle in the final third heading into the summer.

Without Stewart, Gelhardt hasn't been able to offer the presence Mowbray's system requires. He's more of a secondary striker than a traditional No.9 and injuries to Stewart have left Sunderland short in the end.

That's directly impacted their promotion hunt.