In the January transfer window, Sunderland is thinking about making an offer for Mao Hosoya.
The Black Cats signed four strikers in the summer, but they still need to find a solution to their attacking problems.
Since joining Sunderland, Luis Hemir, Nazariy Rusyn, Eliezer Mayenda, and Mason Burstow have all failed to score a goal. In fact, in the three games since Tony Mowbray was fired, the team has chosen to play without a No. 9 at all.
In an attempt to push for the play-offs, Sunderland has been questioned about whether they would go above and beyond to sign a goal-scoring striker next month. However, it now appears that they may be ready to bolster their front line even further.
Sundland Nation reports that the Black Cats are considering signing Mao Hosoya of Kashiwa Reysol.
The Japan international scored 13 goals in 34 J1 League games this season, and he may be leaving before his contract expires in 2019.
Mao Hosoya: Who is she?
Mao Hosoya started at Kashiwa Reysol’s academy before being officially registered as a first-team player at the age of 17.
The young player debuted in the J.League in March 2019 and scored his first goal as a senior four months later.
MORE STORIES FROM SUNDERLAND
With eight goals and four assists in 2022, Hosoya had a breakout season and won the J. League’s 2022 Best Young Player title.
His form for Kashiwa Reysol also earned him his first call-up to the Japan national team last summer, following his eight goals in 16 games for the U21s. Just last month, he scored his first goal for his country in a World Cup qualifier against Syria.
With 14 goals in the 2023 season, Hosoya’s goal total rose as he established himself as a vital member of Kashiwa Reysol. The 22-year-old’s goals helped his team escape relegation by four points on three separate occasions.
Does Mao Hosoya hold the key?
Mao Hosoya is undoubtedly a very gifted player who appears to be enjoying himself now that he is back in Japan.
Takehiro Tomiyasu, Takefusa Kubo, Daichi Kamada, Kaoru Mitoma, and Takefusa Kubo are just a few of the rising stars in Japanese football, which appears to have expanded dramatically in recent years.
Hosoya’s signing is undoubtedly the kind of transfer Brighton would make, and it appears that we are trying to follow their lead. But is it really what we need at this time?
Hosoya might be a very wise acquisition in the long run, but there’s no assurance that he would adapt to life in the Championship quickly. It’s not a given that he could translate his form into one of the continent’s most physically demanding leagues.
That also applied to our other four strikers, and you can see how that worked out. Sunderland needs to learn from its mistakes from the previous summer. Why sign another forward who might wind up in the same predicament as the others? We need a player who has demonstrated the ability to score goals in the Championship, and if that player isn’t producing, I would prefer to continue with our current lineup.
GET MORE NEWS HERE
Leave a Reply