Sunderland transfer model must lead to attempted swoop for top Arsenal starlet: View | OneFootball

Amario Cozier-Duberry is set to leave The Emirates this summer, and the youth-focused Black Cats should be ready to pounce

Sunderland have made a name for themselves in recent seasons for bringing in top talent and letting them showcase their abilities at a young age.

With the likes of Amad Diallo, Jack Clarke, and Jobe Bellingham all starring for the Black Cats over the past 24 months, the Stadium of Light has been a place for budding stars to showcase their quality.

That transfer activity has seen the Mackems continually play the youngest side in the Championship of late, with their 4-2 defeat to Southampton in March seeing an average age of just 21.0 years.

With the mantra still very much in place, the Wearsiders will surely be looking at Arsenal starlet Amario Cozier-Duberry this summer, with the teenager set to leave the Emirates for free at the end of the week.

Amario Cozier-Duberry could be perfect Jack Clarke replacement after Arsenal departure

Cozier-Duberry is said to be frustrated with his lack of game time for the Gunners, having yet to make his first-team debut despite impressing for the development squad through his early years.

The young star netted nine times in 17 matches in PL2 last season but failed to make it onto the pitch in any of Mikel Arteta’s side’s matches despite those promising performances.

The Premier League runners-up are said to value the wide man highly and offered him a contract last summer, but the 19-year-old has made the decision to part ways with his current club and look to progress his career in another direction.

Having only joined the club as a 14-year-old, Cozier-Duberry still possesses the traits of a player brought up playing football on the streets of London, with his unpredictability making him a nuisance to come up against.

Arsenal under-18 coach Jack Wilshere can’t speak highly enough of the wide man, as he said to The Athletic last year.

He said: “Amario is very exciting and Mikel [Arteta] likes him.

“He reminds me of Bukayo Saka, plays in the same position as him, needs to get better with his decision-making like Bukayo did, but he’s definitely exciting.

“In some moments he’s unplayable. You give him the ball and he can make things happen. You can set up a team and have a game plan, but when you’ve got individuals like that you’ve got a chance.”

Sunderland should make Amario Cozier-Duberry amid Jack Clarke departure rumours

That sort of player is exactly what Sunderland need if star man Clarke is to move on this summer, with the former Tottenham Hotspur man the subject of plenty of transfer speculation.

With 19 goal contributions from 40 Championship matches last season, there is no wonder that all manner of clubs are said to be eying up the 23-year-old, with Crystal Palace and Wolverhampton Wanderers the latest sides to be linked with the tricky winger.

The Black Cats are said to be holding out for £25-30m for their prized possession [pictured], who has also attracted interest from Premier League new boys Southampton, as well as West Ham United.

If he does indeed depart, a player of Cozier-Duberry’s ilk would be the perfect replacement for the upcoming campaign, although the Arsenal youngster seemingly likes to operate on the other side of the pitch to Clarke.

But whichever flank he is on, the teenager’s ability to stand a defender up and saunter past him would be a top addition at Championship level, and just like Clarke, he knows how to find the back of the net with ease.

The 19-year-old is said to have plenty of interest from across Europe this summer, but if he was willing to stay in England, the Stadium of Light can offer no better place to kick-start a promising career.

One thing Cozier-Duberry is guaranteed if he moves to the North East is game time, with the Black Cats more than willing to give a player minutes on the field if they believe he is good enough to feature.

And he won’t have to look too far for inspiration either, with current Sunderland man Dan Ballard following a similar route two years ago, having failed to make a prominent breakthrough into the Gunners’ side.

The defender has gone from strength to strength since leaving North London for Wearside and is a regular in the side these days, as well as earning regular international recognition after his domineering performances.

Another strong lure to the Stadium of Light would be new boss Regis Le Bris, who was appointed earlier this month, having left his role FC Lorient to take the post in the North East.

The Frenchman has extensive experience working with youth teams during his time with Les Rennais - whom he led to the French equivalent of the FA Youth Cup - before nurturing Lorient youth products after moving to the club.

Despite the recent turmoil at the club, Sunderland still have the facilities, fanbase, and potential to tempt top talents to join the club, and the signing of Cozier-Duberry would make the impending Clarke departure much easier to handle, with the next pioneering protégé ready to be unleashed on the second tier.