Sunderland AFC must do all they can to sign French cult hero | OneFootball

Wilson Isidor has been an inspired signing for Sunderland

Sunderland have been one of the stories of the Championship season thus far, with the Black Cats in a great position to end their lengthy exile from the Premier League.

In recent years, the roller coaster-esque trajectory of the Wearside club has been well-documented, having to take multiple backward steps in order to progress forward, which is exactly how the goings-on at the Stadium of Light have transpired over the last year or so.

After the disappointment of a 16th-place finish last term - despite being among the play-off contenders at the turn of the year - Kyril Louis-Dreyfus and Kristjaan Speakman have clearly learned from their previous mishaps, and the appointment of Regis Le Bris continues to look more and more inspired as every Championship game-week passes.

The former Lorient boss has instilled a clear, front-footed and energetic philosophy into the side which remains the youngest in the division by average age, with the likes of Chris Rigg, Jobe Bellingham, Dan Neil and Anthony Patterson continuing to stand out.

And, whilst the 49-year-old's dealings in the previous transfer window have brought mixed results so far in terms of output, one of those recruits stands out from the rest, and Sunderland must do all they can to extend his stay on Wearside for years to come.

The centre-forward position had been a problem for the Black Cats ever since regaining their Championship status, as former Scottish hotshot Ross Stewart was ruled out with a lengthy injury, whilst current Coventry striker Ellis Simms had been recalled by Everton after a healthy return of seven goals in 17 league games for the Red and Whites.

Last season, Sunderland were unable to replace the goalscoring nous of Stewart, as whilst Jack Clarke accumulated 15 goals from out wide, Luis Semedo, Mason Burstow and Nazariy Rusyn were only able to score thrice between them.

Spanish striker Eliezer Mayenda was able to score one fewer on his home debut in August in a 4-0 rout over Sheffield Wednesday. But, as we've seen before, Sunderland needed further reinforcements and greater experience in many areas, which is exactly what Wilson Isidor has brought to the party since joining on loan from Zenit St Petersburg in the latter stages of the summer window.

After three substitute appearances, the 24-year-old hit the ground running on his first start for the club, showing great movement and strength to fire home against Watford in a 2-1 defeat in Hertfordshire, before following that up with a poacher's finish against Derby County just days later.

The loanee then showed great skill and composure when putting Hull City to the sword in October, with his eventual dink over Ivor Pandur securing a hard-fought three points for the Mackems.

All five of his goals since then have also shown great variety, with spectacular first-time hits against Oxford United and Coventry City on home turf, an instinctive back-heel against Blackburn Rovers, and recent finishes against Sheffield United and Portsmouth in key home victories displaying a calmness on top of his dynamism and agility.

The one big frustration for the Frenchman - which came to the fore amid two missed penalties against Burnley last week and a bizarre disallowed goal against Derby - is that, despite averaging 2.4 shots per game and leading Sunderland's goalscoring charts with eight strikes, the striker is averaging just 0.3 goals per game, and has missed 14 big chances across his 25 appearances.

That shouldn't deter the ambitious club from making the Zenit man's temporary switch a permanent one in the summer, although reports suggest that such possibilities will hinge on what division Sunderland find themselves in at the end of the season.

It was initially stated by the club that they hold an option to purchase Isidor at the end of the season, before the Sunderland Echo provided clarity on the situation amid conflicting reports from the Russian outfit.

The Echo stated that the clause will automatically be triggered if Sunderland end their eight-year spell away from the top flight, which remains a clear possibility given their current position in the table, although that may be jeopardised in the play-offs, especially considering the club's prior record in the post-season lottery.

However, if Sunderland aren't to achieve promotion this season, the likes of Bellingham could depart in the summer amid links to Arsenal and Manchester United, which would provide significant funds, which would allow their French boss plenty of wriggle-room in the market, and Isidor would surely be the number one priority in that regard.

Of course, in the short-term, the focus for the club and player is to reach the Premier League and ensure that Isidor is signed permanently regardless.

But if not, it will allow plenty of other sides a chance to swoop under Sunderland's noses for the physical frontman, as it has been suggested that the asking price is a stumbling block.