Oliver McBurnie could fire Barnsley to Championship safety.
Sunderland’s bid for survival doesn’t exactly look to be taking flight any time soon – and they are having to watch on as one of their top January targets is aiding a direct rival.
The Black Cats drew 3-3 with Middlesbrough over the weekend, meaning they have picked up just two points from the last six Championship games, leaving them bottom of the table.
Chris Coleman’s men sit five points adrift of safety after a torrid campaign, and Sunderland will be particularly frustrated given that the team they are chasing – 21st placed Barnsley – are benefitting from a recent Sunderland target.
Barnsley snapped up Oliver McBurnie on loan from Swansea City on deadline day in January, with the Yorkshire Post reporting that Sunderland had a deal agreed to sign the forward on loan before Barnsley swooped in to sign him.
Since then, the 21-year-old has excelled at Oakwell, and his goal in Tuesday’s 1-1 draw at Hull City now means he has now hit four goals in four games, including a brace in the win over Birmingham City on Saturday afternoon.
McBurnie’s goals are giving Barnsley hope of avoiding relegation, whereas the striker Sunderland signed instead – Middlesbrough’s Ashley Fletcher – has yet to find the net even once for the Black Cats.
Sunderland will not only be wishing they had McBurnie to score goals for them, but the fact that his goals are coming for a relegation rival will be particularly crippling as Sunderland drift further from safety.
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