As Sunderland embarked on a heavyweight and dizzying pre-Premier League squad overhaul during the summer of 2025, is it fair to say that the addition of the experienced Bertrand Traoré for a fee that, comparatively speaking, felt like an absolute drop in the ocean alongside the sums of money we spent elsewhere perhaps didn’t feel like the most exciting transfer in the world?
If that was the case back then, it certainly isn’t now as we eagerly await his return to action after sustaining an injury at AFCON.
A winger signed for comparative peanuts establishing himself as a key member of the squad alongside such big-money additions as Simon Adingra? It seemed unlikely, but that’s most definitely been the case as questions continue to swirl around the issue of our threat from wide areas, and specifically who’s good enough and who — at this stage at least — isn’t cutting the mustard.
In the meantime, and any possible January additions pending, it’s seemingly down to Chemsdine Talbi, Adingra and Romaine Mundle to fight for those wide berths and to attempt to give Sunderland a different dimension in attack.
Yes, Eliezer Mayenda, Enzo Le Fée and Chris Rigg could be classed as auxiliary options, but none of them are what you might call “natural wingers” and if Sunderland are to improve on an away record in particular that features a peculiar contrast between attacking threats and results, more potency from the wings is surely needed.
You could argue (and you wouldn’t be entirely wrong), that under Régis Le Bris, our modus operandi away from the Stadium of Light is justifiably built on solidity and minimising undue risks.
This is often an alien concept to lively and front-foot wingers but when does this bluntness become too glaring to overlook? When does the balance possibly begin to shift, and are we arriving at a point where we need to consider different options?
Recently, Adingra and Mundle have both found themselves in the spotlight.
Given what’s happened since, the elation that accompanied Adingra’s superbly-taken goal against Leeds United feels like it happened a long time ago, with the Ivorian international and 2023 AFCON winner exhibiting all the hallmarks of an attacker who’s perhaps lost his way somewhat and is merely lacking the kind of consistency that’s needed at this level.
The form and potential of Mundle, meanwhile, remains a mystery.
After an injury-interrupted couple of seasons in the Championship (during the latter of which he did often look like a more-than-capable replacement for Jack Clarke) it’s fair to say that he hasn’t exactly lit up the Premier League thus far. He doesn’t lack dynamism and nor does he shirk his defensive duties, yet he can be a little bit predictable and against the Hammers in particular, his attacking intentions were almost telegraphed at times.
On the other hand, he basically went from a standing start into the rough-and-tumble world of top flight football after being dogged by fitness issues during 2025 — and perhaps the club will reward that persistence by showing faith in him. I’ve long been “50/50” on his prospects at the highest level, but I wouldn’t be too eager to move him on swiftly.
As for Talbi? He’s clearly got a lot to offer and was impressing enormously before he departed for Morocco and AFCON, but after so little football in recent weeks, he’ll naturally need a little bit of time to get back up to speed. It’s not as if we lack options in these areas and I’d actually be surprised if any further additions arrive, but it’s also true that it’s currently an area of weakness — one that could potentially hinder our push for the top eight.
It’s obvious that Sunderland’s approach to attacking football remains a work in progress and that occasionally, things won’t quite work out as planned. That’s fine, and with any luck Le Bris will have a little more clarity in terms of his strongest and most effective starting eleven by the time he names his team for Monday’s clash with Burnley.
However, it’s vitally important that whoever lines up on the wings against the Clarets is determined to seize their opportunity during a game in which we really need to target a victory. Given that we remain the only top flight side with an unbeaten home record, this feels like an occasion on which we could potentially aim to play with a little more attacking intent — which should serve as motivation in itself.
As for any potential forays into the transfer market, how about considering a move for that young lad Tommy Watson at Brighton? He seems to be quite highly-rated; he needs regular football and who knows, he may well have unfinished business at Sunderland.
Perhaps not? Oh well. A man can dream…
