Sunderland AFC: Positive double transfer update revealed involving Alexandre Mendy | OneFootball

SM Caen are looking to add a striker to their ranks amid claims Sunderland are close to a breakthrough for Alexandre Mendy.

Sunderland have not given up hope of signing SM Caen striker Alexandre Mendy, with the Ligue 2 outfit now making contact with Empoli over a move for M’Baye Niang.

According to Foot01, Niang has emerged as a possible replacement for Mendy at the second tier French side. Of course, that could pave the way for the Black Cats to sign Mendy, who has made it abundantly clear he wants to move to Wearside, and is training away from the first-team.

Sunderland, perhaps more so than any other side in the division, need to sign a proven Championship goalscorer. It has been their achilles heel and is the most obvious area that the club must address by increasing their goal output in attack and reducing the burden on Jack Clarke's shoulders.

Last season, the Black Cats signed Nazariy Rusyn, Eliezer Mayenda, Mason Burstow, and Luis Semedo, and they recorded a combined total of a bleak three goals.

Mayenda has since notched twice over the weekend during the 4-0 thrashing of Sheffield Wednesday, but it is clear that they require a more experienced player to spearhead their attack this season.

Beninese striker Alexandre Mendy has been heavily linked with a move to the Stadium of Light. He was supposedly in the country for a medical recently ahead of his move to Sunderland from French side Caen, but nothing has materialised on that front yet.

Foot Mercato have since stated that the Black Cats are competing with Saudi side Al-Riyadh for the signing of the 30-year-old. Despite the player's desire to move to the North East, the move is proving increasingly difficult to get over the line.

Sunderland's summer search for a striker may end with Alexandre Mendy

Needless to say, a player of Mendy's calibre and goal-scoring record would make a huge difference to their attack. He would bring a focal point, but goals at a higher level than any of Sunderland's other centre-forward options.

The 30-year-old's record is there for all to see. Over the last three seasons, the Guinea-Bissau international accumulated 57 league goals in 96 league appearances. Mendy fits the profile of a prolific striker and the club will be desperate to get a deal over the line.

Sunderland have shown interest in a number of young unproven strikers, including Divin Mubama (who is signing for Man City), Dane Scarlett (now at Oxford United on loan) and Will Lankshear, but a striker of their stature should only be signed to complement a more experienced forward like Mendy.

Their efforts for Mendy appear to be stepping up, as Sunderland Nation claimed over the weekend that The Black Cats had bid only "a quarter" of Caen’s €4 million (£3.4 million) price tag, which would come in at around £850,000.

Now, the latest from Foot01 claims Niang could be about to sign for Caen for free, so they should be able to wrap up a deal fairly quickly.

Not only that, but it also claims that Mendy’s move to Sunderland is "imminent", suggesting that they may have made progress on a deal over the last few days.

Sunderland's chances of signing Caen's Alexandre Mendy have strengthened

Despite the most recent update being a positive one, time is running out for Sunderland to sign a striker, and although the club will be working hard behind the scenes to bring one in, fans are growing increasingly frustrated.

Mendy is the man they want, and given he is reportedly training in isolation, it still appears this deal could go through before the window closes.

He has scored at a good rate in Ligue 2, finding the net 60 times over the past three seasons, and his positional sense within the box should fit the Regis Le Bris' system.

He is also vastly experienced at the age of 30, which helps to address what is a youthful-looking forward line, and one that needs support for the likes of Clarke and Patrick Roberts in output terms.