Opinion: Sunderland should turn to EFL ace if unable to strike January agreement with Aston Villa | OneFootball

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Football League World

·6 December 2022

Opinion: Sunderland should turn to EFL ace if unable to strike January agreement with Aston Villa

Article image:Opinion: Sunderland should turn to EFL ace if unable to strike January agreement with Aston Villa

Sunderland currently sit one point outside of the Championship play-off positions in what has been a positive start to the campaign for the Wearsiders.

Playing a large chunk of this campaign without a striker, Tony Mowbray’s side managed to cope, however, they will be hoping to avoid another scenario like that as the season progresses.


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Ellis Simms has since returned from injury but Ross Stewart is still continuing his recovery, with the pair being the club’s only out-and-out striking options as things stand.

There has also been a bit of transfer interest in Stewart, which places high importance on ensuring that they are keeping a close eye on the forward market with January in mind.

One player that the Black Cats have been credited with an interest in is Aston Villa ace Cameron Archer, as detailed in a report from Football Insider.

However, one stumbling block in Sunderland’s pursuit could be the sheer amount of interest that is expected to surface for him, with the forward’s brother recently telling the Lancashire Evening Post that the 20-year-old would love a move back to Preston North End.

14 quiz questions about historic Sunderland moments – Can you score 14/14?

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Article image:Opinion: Sunderland should turn to EFL ace if unable to strike January agreement with Aston Villa

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Given the levels of physicality that Both Simms and Stewart possess, the Black Cats should look to bolster their striking options with a completely different profile to the pair.

One player who meets that description, who is deserving of a Championship move, who still has a high ceiling and who has proven to be a consistent scorer of goals this season, is Bristol Rovers forward Aaron Collins.

A player that causes chaos when operating off the shoulder of the last defender and can also link the play by dropping deeper, the 25-year-old could be a consideration for a number of Championship clubs.

Netting 10 goals and providing seven assists in 20 League One matches this season, Collins is certainly an exciting prospect.

Given his lack of second-tier experience, a move for the League One forward would certainly represent a risk, however, he has looked a level above throughout this campaign, whilst he has all the confidence in the world.

Collins has proven to be rather versatile during his career, and with Tony Mowbray deploying a 4-2-3-1 in recent weeks, he could occupy all four forward roles in that particular system.

It would not necessarily be the cheapest of deals to complete, given the fact that Collins penned down a new deal at the Memorial Ground in the summer, however, he would be affordable if Sunderland were to pursue a deal.

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