Conventional wisdom says Sunderland’s biggest need this summer is at right wing.
But hear me out.
What if conventional wisdom is wrong?
While seven different Black Cats started at right wing last season — Chemsdine Talbi, Bertrand Traoré, Trai Hume, Chris Rigg, Eliezer Mayenda, Jocelin Ta Bi and Nilson Angulo — the squad’s best right-sided attacker was, and is, defender Nordi Mukiele.
Mukiele was fourth on the team in goal contributions with three goals and four assists — ranking behind only Enzo Le
Fée and Brian Brobbey, and tied with Granit Xhaka — and was also fourth in chances created. Only Le Fée, Xhaka and Hume had more.
Due to injuries, AFCON and tactical changes, Mukiele only started 16 matches out wide, just two more than Hume’s 14. But while the majority of Hume’s starts came with recognised wingers like Talbi and Traoré in front of him, most of Mukiele’s came working with Rigg, a natural midfielder, and Hume.
Despite this, Sunderland averaged almost 0.2 more goals and 0.07 higher xG per game with Mukiele starting on the right.
Sunderland don’t need a right winger; they need players who make Mukiele more effective. They may already be in our squad.
When Mukiele is bombing down the wing, the right-sided attacker tucks inside more often into the half-space. In the goal against Crystal Palace, Hume slides inside to combine with Xhaka, leaving the wing wide open.
Many Sunderland fans groan when Hume is in the line-up ahead of Mukiele, but he might be Mukiele’s perfect complement. His tendency to play inside and his defensive solidity give Mukiele more freedom, and while he’s not perfect going forward, he’s a capable creator and occasional finisher.
On Sunday against Wrexham, Mukiele and Hume combined with Brobbey to score the Black Cats’ lone goal.
With Talbi and Angulo presumed to share duties on the left, and Romaine Mundle and Simon Adingra potentially departing, the current options on the right are Hume, Rigg and an actual right winger in Jocelin Ta Bi. Ta Bi is exciting, but he might get in Mukiele’s way out wide and doesn’t offer anywhere near the defensive support that Hume does.
Rigg’s huge upside means the club has to find ways to get the youngster on the pitch. Midfield minutes will likely be tough to come by, so right wing continues to be an option. His natural midfield instincts to move inside fit well with Mukiele.
For example, here are the heat maps, courtesy of Sofascore, for Rigg and Mukiele in Sunderland’s 4-3 loss at Aston Villa.
Playing Hume against more attack-minded opponents and Rigg against more defensive-minded sides could be a good rotation option.
My wild card, though, is Habib Diarra. Le Bris has been vocal that Le Fée has found his home centrally, and Xhaka and Sadiki aren’t going anywhere. Diarra is seemingly the odd man out, but he is considerably right-side dominant and would fit just fine in the half-space, running with Mukiele, as he does here against Burnley.
Sunderland’s first signing of the summer, right-back Thomas Meunier on a free transfer, convinces me even more that this is a direction the club might go. Meunier, who can also play as a right wing-back, gives Le Bris the option to use similar tactics if, and when, Mukiele has to play at centre-back.
I’m not saying Sunderland won’t sign a right winger. I’m almost certain they will. But it might be someone like long-linked Roma attacker Matías Soulé, who is listed as a right winger according to Transfermarkt, an attacking midfielder according to FotMob and a second striker according to both. Someone who can play in a similar setup to what the club already does well, while also providing depth across multiple positions.
I’m probably wrong.
But maybe I’m not.
