Sunderland identify Leicester City man as summer transfer target | OneFootball

The Black Cats are still persisting with their youth recruitment policy despite more experience coming through the door this summer

Sunderland have enquired about a loan move for Leicester City defender Ben Nelson.

The 20-year-old centre-back is said to be a potential transfer target for Regis Le Bris' side this summer, according to Michael Graham, but their movement for him has only gone as far as an enquiry.

Even though Sunderland have branched out a bit in terms of their recruitment, with much more experienced players being the target of some of their early business, they are still looking to implement the overall vision that sporting director Kristjaan Speakman and chairman Kyril Louis-Dreyfus have for the club.

They've targeted strikers over the summer period, with 30-year-old Alexandre Mendy being one. However, this is not the only forward that they are said to hold an interest in.

Adding options up front is said to be a top priority for them this season, and teenager Divin Mubama, who has recently left West Ham United as a free agent, has been heavily linked to Sunderland in the past.

Mubama isn't the only youthful option that the Black Cats are believed to be looking at either.

Sunderland enquire over Leicester City prospect Ben Nelson

Nelson has been the subject of interest from Le Bris' side, according to local journalist Graham. They are not alone in their intrigue either, as per the report, many other second tier sides are supposedly keen on the 20-year-old too.

The England under-20 international has already had two loan spells in his short career, but both have been with League Two sides. In the 2022/23 campaign, he spent the first half of the season with Rochdale, who ended up getting relegated, and then the second half with Doncaster Rovers.

Nelson made his first-team debut for the Foxes last season, featuring five times last season in the Championship. The defender already has his first ever goal for Leicester too, netting in a 2-1 loss to Queens Park Rangers in March.

Nelson will be familiar with the aforementioned Mubama who Sunderland are believed to like, as well as the club's starlet Jobe Bellingham, as they have played together for their national side this year. The centre-half has started three of England under-20's last four matches, meaning he has a sparkling pedigree.

Sunderland have utilised loan market to good effect in recent years

In the Black Cats' last promotion-winning campaign, which was in League One in 2021-22, they had a bit of temporary help from another Premier League prospect at the back in Callum Doyle.

He was an ever-present figure in that squad, despite his tender age, and he has gone on to help Coventry City reach the play-off final and Leicester to their Championship title victory last season.

Deals like the one for Dan Ballard, who has just signed a new long-term contract with the club, show that Sunderland know how to spot top talents from these higher-ranked teams - especially when it comes to defensive ones.

You'd maybe look at Nelson's lack of experience at the second tier level and think that it's a bit of an off-put. The chances are, though, that he's probably not going to be used in the starting line-up regularly, given the options that Le Bris currently has in his position, like Ballard and Luke O'Nien.

Fans may just need to trust the recruitment team on this one, and see how things end up playing out, but the attention Nelson is getting from other Championship sides should be at least a somewhat decent indicator of his abilities.