He used to have an Erling Haaland-related moniker.
Michael Beale, the manager of Sunderland, was appointed shortly before Christmas when Tony Mowbray was fired. He would have preferred to have had the opportunity to make his mark on the team during the January transfer window. There hasn’t been any inbound activity at the Stadium of Light with less than two weeks till the deadline of February 1st, but the club is working to change that.
Rumor had it that Sunderland was interested in forward Macaulay Langstaff of Notts County, who is valued at £1.5 million by the League Two team. Reputable journalist James Copley has offered his opinion on the subject. The Black Cats were reportedly involved in a major transfer fight that also involved teams like Birmingham City, Derby County, Peterborough United, Wrexham, and Scottish club Hearts.
Copley wrote on Twitter to confirm Sunderland’s interest in Langstaff, calling the rumors “genuine”. He lists Derby and Peterborough as bidders in an attached piece for the Sunderland Echo, but he also adds Middlesbrough, the northeast rival, as being involved.
He continues by saying that if Langstaff leaves Notts County, his previous club, Gateshead, is entitled to a 10% sell-on fee. This might mean that Langstaff’s present team drives an even tougher bargain in any negotiations.
Langstaff’s “incredible” ability to solve the Jack Clarke puzzle
Despite not being in the top four leagues the previous season, Langstaff’s goal-scoring prowess garnered him national recognition. With 41 goals in 45 games, he shattered the National League goalscoring record, earning the nickname “Non-League Haaland.” Former Manchester United coach Paul McGuinness referred to this accomplishment as “incredible.”
With those goals, Notts County was able to advance, and Langstaff—dubbed a “master marksman” by TNT Sports analyst Adam Summerton—kept up his deadly form at an even higher level. 20 goals in 27 League games With just two appearances thus far, both of them penalties, he leads the English Football League’s scoring charts.
Of course, the Championship would be a huge step up in caliber, and Langstaff might take some getting used to, but Sunderland should take heart from his smooth transition to the EFL this year. Beale needs additional firepower to counteract his team’s over-reliance on Jack Clarke. The former Spurs player has scored 13 goals this season from the flanks, while no other player in the club has scored more than four goals (Jobe Bellingham and Dan Neil are presently tied for the most goals scored).
A deal for Langstaff might assist to rectify that imbalance, which must be concerning for a team hoping to make the play-offs (they are only behind Coventry in sixth place on goal difference before their match against Hull). It’s difficult to argue that he isn’t worth £1.5 million, either, given the stats he has produced this season.
To address injury concerns, Sunderland makes a lineup move for a “immaculate” EFL standout.
This new talent could be signed by Michael Beale to help with Sunderland’s injury problems.
In addition to being plagued by a dearth of effective strikers at the moment, Michael Beale’s team is in dire need of some positive reinforcements in the Wearside left-back region to help with their mounting injury problems.
A new defender is needed in January to cover for both Dennis Cirkin, who recently needed surgery to aid in his rehabilitation from an equally bad injury, and Niall Huggins, who is sidelined for the foreseeable future due to a serious knee ailment.
Recently, Aji Alese has quietly filled in for both of the injured players, but with this potential coming through the door, worries about a lack of suitable left-back options may be allayed.
In an attempt to strengthen this weak position in their squad, Sunderland is reportedly targeting a move for Leicester City full-back Luke Thomas, who is returning to the King Power Stadium this month following a disappointing loan stint with Sheffield United.
With just 22 years old and 68 Premier League outings under his belt already in his early career, Thomas would be a great addition to Beale’s team this month to ease the blows surrounding Huggins and Cirkin.
The 15-time England U21 international, who would take over Alese’s responsibilities upon his possible arrival, might also be a signing that proves Sunderland isn’t going to quietly fade away from the promotion pack as pressure builds near the top of the division.
Thomas’s potential position on the Sunderland squad
Alongside breakout star Trai Hume on the right side of defense, the Leicester defender would start the game and provide the Black Cats with another creative and adaptable option.
Playing for the Foxes senior team to date, Thomas has scored two goals and picked up five assists. However, at the youth level, he stood out for his ability to score, netting eight goals for the East Midlands club while also making appearances for the U18s and U21s.
When the rising full-back made his senior debut in 2020, as Leicester defeated Sheffield United 2-0, his defensive partner of the day, Johnny Evans, a former Sunderland defender, was all praise for him, stating: “Everything he did was immaculate.”
With Thomas joining the Sunderland team, the Black Cats might become even more formidable on the left side, potentially surpassing top scorer Jack Clarke if he signs on. Thomas has the creativity to support the winger and the ability to even pop up with a goal himself.
Thomas may be held back by his lackluster loan move to Sheffield United in the first half of the season, but he will be motivated to dispel any skeptics by making the drop to the second division.
Despite being at the bottom of the Premier League and possibly being thrown into the deep end by Paul Heckingbottom, Thomas did show flashes of brilliance for the desperate Blades. Thomas misplaced just five passes in a 1-1 tie between United and Brighton in November, making that specific performance stand out.
In an attempt to aid Beale with his left-back selection quandaries as Sunderland looks to secure promotion, the £10k-per-week player will travel to the Stadium of Light in the second half of the season in the hopes of making a bigger impression.
GET MORE NEWS HERE
Leave a Reply