Sunderland should forget Swansea transfer and turn attention to Bristol Rovers: Opinion | OneFootball

Sunderland alongside Middlesbrough and Celtic are interested in signing Liam Cullen from Swansea City this summer, according to Football Insider.

The 24-year-old has made a breakthrough into the Swansea first team this season, becoming an important player under Russell Martin.

Cullen has featured 27 times for the Swans and has managed to score eight goals in the league. The striker has a contract that runs until the summer of 2024, before the Welsh club have an option to extend that deal by another 12 months.

Therefore, it seems his performances this season have now caught the eye of admirers, with Sunderland showing an interest in the young striker.

Would Liam Cullen be a good signing?

There are no doubts that Cullen isn’t the finished article, and there is still a way to go in the striker’s development, but the 24-year-old has done reasonably well this season when he has played.

The striker has shown what he is capable of at League One level with Lincoln City and has shown this season that he can do it in the Championship.

However, it could be argued that there are better options out there for Sunderland this summer, as they will be keen on adding a striker to their team considering what happened to Ross Stewart this season.

Cullen has flourished under a side that plays good attacking football and under a manager that likes giving young players a chance, so you just wonder if this type of move for the striker is a little too early in his development.

Why Sunderland should switch their attentions to Aaron Collins

Therefore, with a striker clear on the transfer list this summer, Sunderland would be very wise to move away from Cullen and go after Bristol Rovers striker Aaron Collins.

Collins has had a stellar season with Bristol Rovers. The 25-year-old has scored 16 goals and registered 12 assists in 42 appearances in the league, being the only player to reach double figures in both categories this season.

Collins was also named League One player of the season on Sunday night, beating off stiff competition from Barry Bannan and Jonson Clark-Harris.

Collins is expected to be a wanted man this summer, with Bristol Rovers boss Joey Barton previously admitted that he is expecting summer interest in Collins, with his form taking the interest of big sides.

The 25-year-old has taken to life in League One extremely well, and there is no reason why he wouldn’t do the same in the Championship. Interest is likely to be strong in the summer, and Sunderland should be a side that is keen on the striker.

He has proven this season in a side that has underachieved that he can contribute on a regular basis and has more EFL experience than, say, Cullen. So, if Sunderland are keen on Cullen, then there should be no reason why they are not looking at a player like Collins.