Sunderland AFC urged against potential Ross Stewart transfer return | OneFootball

FLW's Sunderland fan pundit has given his verdict on a potential reunion with Southampton striker Ross Stewart.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

It is set to be an exciting end to the season for Sunderland as they prepare for the Championship play-offs.

Sunderland have spent long spells of the season sitting fourth in the Championship table, and while automatic promotion has been just out of reach for Regis Le Bris' side, their place in the play-offs is guaranteed.

It has been an incredibly impressive season for the Black Cats, but just as in previous years, the lack of a prolific striker has arguably prevented them from making even further progress up the table.

The striker position has been a problem for Sunderland since the departure of Ross Stewart, who scored 40 goals and provided eight assists in 80 games for the club prior to joining Southampton for a fee of £10 million in the summer of 2023.

However, Stewart struggled with injuries towards the end of his time at the Stadium of Light, and his fitness problems have continued at St Mary's, with the 28-year-old making only 11 appearances for the Saints in just under two seasons, and he is yet to score a goal for the club.

Stewart has featured as a substitute for already-relegated Southampton in their last two Premier League games after over six months out with a hamstring injury, but it remains to be seen whether he will have a future on the South Coast beyond the summer.

Sunderland told to avoid potential Ross Stewart reunion

When asked if he would welcome Stewart back to the Stadium of Light this summer if he was offered to the club, FLW's Sunderland fan pundit Jordan Newcombe insisted that the Black Cats should steer clear of any potential move for the Scot due to his recent injury issues.

"To be honest, if Sunderland got offered Ross Stewart, I really wouldn't bring him back," Jordan said.

"Depending on who the player is, I think you always have to go forward as a club with your transfers, not back, and Stewart is one that we need to forget about now.

"He came to Sunderland and had a bad start with injuries, but other than that, he had an outstanding career at the club.

"He scored at Wembley when we went up, then we came to the Championship and he decided to leave.

"He took a long time doing his contract, and that didn't sit right with me.

"I understand that he wants to hear from other teams to see who is interested in him, which is all fair and well, but just like with Tommy Watson right now, if he wanted to stay, he would have done.

"I would not go back in for Stewart or take him back here, he's too injury prone now.

"He can't even go 15 minutes on the pitch without getting injured, he would be too much of a liability.

"He would just be a striker that we've bought who would get injured, whether that be in pre-season, training or just having a reoccurring injury, which Stewart would no doubt have.

"Unfortunately for all the fans, I would not take him back.

"I'd rather progress, move on, get a brand new striker, and respectfully, just forget about Ross Stewart.

"I'll always thank him for what he did, we couldn't have gone up to the Championship without him.

"He was a massive part of the club and the promotion, and he did really well, but other than that, I don't really want him here.

"I'd rather have someone new and experienced in case we do go up to the Premier League.

"If we do go up, we're not going to need a player like Stewart, we're going to need an even better player up top."

Ross Stewart could be a dangerous Southampton weapon in the Championship

Stewart was one of Sunderland's stars during his time at the club, but he left the Stadium of Light in acrimonious fashion after rejecting multiple contract offers prior to his big money move to Southampton, so a return to Wearside is highly unlikely, even if he becomes available this summer.

When fit, there is no doubt that Stewart is a prolific goalscorer at Championship level, which is underlined by the 10 goals he scored for the Black Cats in just 13 league appearances in the 2022-23 campaign, and he could be crucial for the Saints next season as they look to make an immediate return to the Premier League.

However, given Stewart's recent injury record, Southampton will not be confident that he can stay fit for long enough, and they will need to decide whether to give him another chance next season or cut their losses and sell in the summer.