Sunderland now need to address 2 major issues after Alan Browne deal: View | OneFootball

Having secured the signing of central-midfielder, Alan Browne, Sunderland must press on in their search for a striker and centre-back.

Sunderland recently secured the signing of central midfielder, Alan Browne, on a three-year deal. The experienced midfielder joined on a free transfer, having left Preston North End earlier in the transfer window. The centre of midfield was a key area of the pitch that Sunderland needed to strengthen, having lost Corey Evans and Alex Pritchard in the last two windows.

With under four weeks to go until the start of the new Championship season, new manager, Regis Le Bris, will be looking to do more business before Sunderland's first game against Cardiff City on August 10th.

Here, after the completion of the Browne deal, we take a look at the two key positions which Sunderland must strengthen before the transfer window closes at the end of August. Failure to do so could seriously hamper the Black Cats' promotion ambitions for the new season.

Sunderland need to address striker woes

Sunderland's hierarchy came under fire last season due to their inability to sign a goal-scoring striker. Prolific forward, Ross Stewart, was sold to then Championship rivals, Southampton, at the end of the 2023/24 summer transfer window. The Scotsman was the Wearsiders' top scoring centre-forward with 10 goals. This was particularly impressive given he only played 13 times in the Championship that season - Stewart picked up a season-ending achilles injury while playing against Fulham in the FA Cup.

Having already signed two strikers in Luis Semedo and Eliezer Mayenda, Sunderland acted swiftly to replace Stewart by signing Mason Burstow, on loan from Chelsea, and Ukrainian forward, Nazariy Rusyn, on a permanent deal from Zorya Lugansk. Mayenda was loaned to Hibernian, while the others fought to claim a place in the starting eleven. Unfortunately, none of the deals paid off, with the trio scoring a combined total of three goals between them. The statistics signify the need for a striker - a goal-scoring one.

In January, the club missed out on Kieffer Moore, who would have added much-needed firepower to Sunderland's tame front line. However, the deal never materialised, with the striker opting for Ipswich Town, rather than the Black Cats. The move paid off for Moore and Ipswich, with the Welshman netting seven times in 18 appearances, as the Tractor Boys achieved promotion back to the Premier League - Sunderland were unable to sign a striker and slumped to a 16th place finish. Recently, Championship rivals, Sheffield United, completed a permanent deal for Moore.

Finding a goalscoring striker who won't break the bank, is proving difficult for Sunderland. A quality striker will come at a price, and it appears that chairman, Kyril Louis-Dreyfus, is unwilling to spend big. The highest fee Sunderland have paid for a striker under Louis-Dreyfus is the reported £2.5 million, which they paid for Rusyn last summer. It must be noted that Stewart only cost the Black Cats an estimated £338,000, which shows that cheap deals do sometimes pay off.

It was recently reported that the Wearsiders had opened talks with former West Ham United forward, Divin Mubama, who turned down a new contract with the London club. At 19 years of age, the striker is not yet proven at senior level and would prove a risk for the North East side. However, he has been prolific at youth level, scoring a combined 58 goals for the under 21s and under 18s - Mubama has also represented England at youth level. Whether Mubama would be the sole signing up front remains to be seen, but Sunderland must push on with business in this area of the pitch.

Sunderland's strongest centre-back partnership going into the new season consists of Dan Ballard and club captain, Luke O'Nien. The defensive duo partnered each other for 41 of Sunderland's 46 Championship games during the 2023/24 season. While this shows a stable partnership, the duo did face two heavy defeats together at the hands of Middlesbrough and Blackburn Rovers, conceding four and five goals respectively.

O'Nien is not a natural centre-half but has adapted well to the role over the past two seasons. He has demonstrated that he is willing to play anywhere for Sunderland and has been a success at centre-back. As for Ballard, he has established himself as one of Sunderland's best players, which has been reflected amid links with Premier League clubs, Everton and West Ham. Despite the links, it seems that Ballard will be staying at the Stadium of Light for the foreseeable future. Ballard has had injury problems in the past, so it is vital that Sunderland have quality in cover, but this is an area they are slightly lacking.

Past O'Nien and Ballard, Sunderland currently have Jenson Steelt, Leo Fuhr Hjelde, Aji Alese, Nectarios Triantis and Joe Anderson. Alese has proven himself to be the stronger of those options but has mostly been deployed as a left-back during his time at Sunderland; the 23-year-old has also suffered numerous injuries during his time at the Stadium of Light. Steelt is out for the rest of the calendar year having suffered a serious knee injury - the player underwent knee surgery recently. Hjelde has predominantly played as a left-back but did make two appearances at centre-half. As for Triantis and Anderson, they spent their seasons on loan at Hibernian and Shrewsbury Town respectively, showing that they are not viewed as first team quality.

Sunderland's defensive statistics from last season suggest that Ballard and O'Nien have a strong partnership. The Black Cats conceded 54 goals last season - only four teams conceded less. However, the club needs strength in depth in this position and should look for reinforcements. Competition for places is essential to ensuring a successful season and past Ballard and O'Nien, Sunderland appear to be lacking.