Sunderland “pushing” to sign “fantastic” £27k-p/w striker instead of Frigan

Sunderland are now “pushing” to sign a “fantastic” striker, with the deal to sign Westerlo’s Matija Frigan showing no signs of progress, according to a journalist.

Frigan deal at a standstill

With Regis Le Bris determined to bring in a new striker this month, Frigan emerged as a major target, and there were signs the 21-year-old was keen on a move to the Stadium of Light, having agreed personal terms on a move to the Championship.

However, the deal now appears to be at a standstill, and the Black Cats have started to look at other options to bolster their attack, including Preston North End’s Emil Riis. The Championship promotion-hopefuls were also in the race to sign Leicester City’s Tom Cannon, but fellow second-tier side Sheffield United have now completed a permanent deal, meaning Le Bris’ side have started to look at other strikers.

Le Bris has recently explained the type of profile he is looking for in attack, saying: “Obviously, in an ideal world, we would like to have (forward) players who are tall and fast, with a good technique and good finishing. In a perfect world, you want someone who can do everything.”

Related

Sunderland now racing Championship rivals to sign “technical” £3.5m forward

The Black Cats have registered their interest in a winger.

With the Frigan deal stalling, a new target who could tick a lot of boxes for Le Bris has now entered the frame, according to Foot Mercato journalist Santi Aouna, who revealed on X that Sunderland are now “pushing” to sign Ajax’s Chuba Akpom.

There may be competition for the £27k-per-week forward’s signature, however, as Ligue 1 sides Lille and Lens have expressed interest over the past few weeks.

The former Middlesbrough man was prolific in his final season in the Championship, scoring 28 goals in 38 games, and since then he has gone on to prove himself in the Netherlands with Ajax, with the 29-year-old showing signs of year-on-year development.

With Le Bris keen on a striker capable of doing everything, there are signs the Ajax forward could be the perfect signing, having been lauded for his all-round game by Michael Carrick after hitting 20 league goals for Boro.

“It’s a terrific achievement. It’s not easy to score that many goals. He’s scored all different type of goals for us since I’ve been here. I thought his performance was fantastic. He gets credit for his goals but his performance all-round was terrific.”

With Sunderland just four points off the automatic promotion places, it is vital they capitalise on this opportunity to return to the Premier League, so signing a player with a proven Championship pedigree is a very smart move.

As such, Akpom should be the Black Cats’ priority target heading into the final week of the January transfer window, rather than Frigan, who is unproven in a major league.