Talksport pundit tells Sunderland AFC to strike Ipswich Town transfer agreement | OneFootball

Sunderland are looking to make additions this summer ahead of a testing Premier League campaign.

Ipswich Town winger Omari Hutchinson is a player that talkSPORT's Gabby Agbonlahor feels newly promoted Sunderland should be going after this summer.

There is an acceptance within Sunderland that, while they would like to stick to the principles of youth development that got them to the Premier League, they are likely going to have to switch tack this summer and bring in different player profiles. Sporting director Kristjaan Speakman admitted as much on Wednesday when speaking to BBC Radio Newcastle.

Didier Ndong's record as the most expensive Black Cat signing ever made at £13 million has already been broken by Enzo Le Fee, who, following Sunderland's promotion, joined from AS Roma for £20 million. According to Sky Sports' Keith Downie, there's every chance they could go beyond the £20 million mark this summer.

So how do those at the Stadium of Light go about building Regis Le Bris a squad that is able to compete in the Premier League and yet doesn't completely break down the system that Speakman and owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus have built over the last three or four years? Well, Agbonlahor has one suggestion of who they could sign.

Gabby Agbonlahor makes Sunderland, Omari Hutchinson transfer claim

Hutchinson, Ipswich's 21-year-old winger, is a player that the ex-Aston Villa forward feels Sunderland should look to bring in.

It's less than a year since the England under-21 made his permanent move from Chelsea to Portman Road for an initial £20 million, following a loan spell with the club in their last promotion-winning season.

He only registered five direct goal contributions last season for Kieran McKenna's side, but Agbonlahor thinks that Hutchinson - a talent that has just been relegated - is the type of player that Sunderland should target.

"Jordan Henderson will be a great signing but are they going to get the business done? You look at their starting XI, you wouldn’t fancy them in the Premier League. They are going to have to do major business," said the talkSPORT host.

"There has to be [experience added to the squad]. Can Sunderland be, like, neat and tidy in their business? Can they go for £30 million players who might not work and it’s a risk And can they not find players who have been relegated from the Premier League? Players that have gone down with Leicester or Ipswich...

"Can you find Hutchinson from Ipswich - players like that? All three teams who have got promoted have got a lot of work to do, a lot of players to get rid of and a lot of experience to bring in."

Sunderland would struggle to sign Omari Hutchinson

Hutchinson signed a five-year deal upon joining the Tractor Boys, handing Ipswich all the leverage on his future whereabouts. Sunderland would certainly have to break their new £20 million record in order to sign him, and, given his importance to McKenna, it's unlikely that Town would actually let him leave for an even slightly reasonable price.

What they could look at instead is an old friend of theirs who is teammates with Hutchinson at Portman Road: Jack Clarke.

The 24-year-old joined Ipswich last summer, like the ex-Chelsea player, for an initial £15 million, plus £5 million in add-ons, as per the BBC, but he struggled to find form in the Northern Irish boss' system.

There's no doubting his talent, though, and Clarke would certainly get a warm welcome back to Wearside if Sunderland managed to pull off a loan move for him, which would be much more viable than a move for Hutchinson.