Highlights
- Sunderland could sign a last-minute Patrick Roberts upgrade on deadline day.
- The player was one of the most exciting in League One last season.
- He currently plies his trade for a Premier League club.
An update has emerged on Sunderland and their plans to add to their attacking options before the summer transfer window slams shut this evening.
What’s the latest Sunderland transfer news?
According to journalist Alan Nixon, via his Patreon, the Black Cats are eyeing up a deadline day swoop to sign Jesurun Rak-Sakyi from Crystal Palace on loan.
The reporter has claimed that the Championship side are keen on a deal to snap up the 20-year-old winger on a temporary basis as there are growing concerns over a possible exit for current forward Patrick Roberts.
Sky Sports’ Keith Downie has also claimed that Southampton made an offer of £5m for the former Manchester City prospect on Thursday and that a deal could be done for the English maestro.
How good is Jesurun Rak-Sakyi?
The Eagles youngster is a terrific prospect who could come in as an upgrade on Roberts and alleviate any fears that losing the 26-year-old would weaken the squad significantly.
If Rak-Sakyi can translate his performances in League One on loan with Charlton last season over to Championship football with Sunderland this term then he could be a sensational option for Tony Mowbray out wide as a player who can score and assist goals on a regular basis.
The 5 foot 10 winger showcased his creativity with eight assists and 1.3 key passes per game for the Addicks across 43 outings in the third tier, which shows that he has the potential to split open the opposition’s defence on a regular basis to provide his teammates with opportunities in front of goal.
Roberts, meanwhile, assisted seven goals and produced 1.4 key passes per match over 42 Championship clashes for Sunderland during the 2022/23 campaign, which indicates that there may not be a great deal to separate the pair when it comes to creating chances.
However, Rak-Sakyi’s goalscoring potential from a wide position is where the talented prodigy could be a big upgrade on the flank for Mowbray’s side.
The Palace wizard, whose balance was hailed as “wonderful” by ex-boss Ben Garner, racked up an outstanding 15 League One goals for Charlton last season, which is more than any Sunderland player managed in the Championship.
Roberts only found the back of the net five times for the Black Cats and that came after the former Celtic loanee produced two goals in 17 League One matches for the club throughout the 2021/22 campaign.
These statistics suggest that Rak-Sakyi has the potential to offer more quality on a consistent basis in comparison to Roberts as a scorer, whilst they both offer a similar level of creativity from the flank as left-footed forwards.
Sunderland could improve their team by securing a last-gasp swoop for the Palace youngster on loan and a deal for him could provide his compatriot with superb competition out wide, or it could allow the club to sanction his exit without worrying about the hole that it would leave behind.
Therefore, Mowbray and Kristjaan Speakman must work hard to sign the Eagles talent on loan as it could be a shrewd piece of deadline day business.