Sunderland are battling Championship rivals Watford for the signing of a prolific 22-year-old this summer, and he could even be available on a free transfer soon.
Sunderland manager & transfer news
The Black Cats are going through a key period at the moment, with the club still looking to find their next manager, after interim boss Mike Dodds stepped down from his role at the end of the season.
A host of names have emerged as options to take charge at the Stadium of Light, including Queen Park Rangers boss Marti Cifuentes, who took charge of the west Londoners last year. Granted, he could only guide his side to 18th in the Championship table, but avoiding relegation was seen as an achievement in itself.
Former AZ Alkmaar manager Pascal Jansen has also emerged as an option for Sunderland this summer, having left the Eredivisie side earlier this year. He prefers a 4-3-3 formation, naturally adopting a defence-minded approach, which may not get Black Cats supporters off their seats.
In terms of potential new signings on the pitch, the Championship side have been linked with a move for Ajax ace Ar'Jany Martha, with the 20-year-old left-back starting eight league games for the Dutch giants in 2023/24, as well as featuring in the Europa League. He is viewed as possibly being their next version of Patrick van Aanholt, who was a successful player in the position for a number of years.
Sunderland battling rivals for prolific winger
According to Valencia Plaza [via Sport Witness], Sunderland are interested in signing Valencia B youngster Declan Frith this summer, with Watford also providing competition for his signature.
The 22-year-old is yet to make his debut for Valencia's first team, which shows why he could eye a move away in the coming weeks and months. It is even claimed that he could be available on a free transfer in July, should the La Liga not trigger a one-year extension to his current deal.
Frith may not be a huge name, but he could be a high potential option to bring in for Sunderland at relatively low cost. The Englishman has impressed for Aston Villa's Under-23s in the past, registering a prolific 15 goal contributions (eight goals and seven assists) in just 24 appearances, and he also played fives time for Chelsea at the same level, showing that he has pedigree as a highly thought of young player.
Moving to Sunderland could be far more beneficial than toiling away for Valencia's B team, and the fact that he could be available for free takes away a large amount of risk when it comes to the Black Cats making a move for him.
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The winger could provide some extra end product at The Stadium of Light after a season in which none of the club's centre-forwards stepped up and forced their way in as the recognised goalscorer.
