At this stage, Sunderland can have no excuses if they are left chasing a new centre-forward during the final couple of days of the summer transfer window.
Fortunately, this time it seems as though the Black Cats are fully prepared for the worst-case scenario.
One of the hottest strikers in the whole EFL will be a free agent on 1 July and it’s not as though Sunderland haven’t been given ample time to ready themselves for Charlie Wyke’s departure.
The first player to break the 30-goal barrier in red and white since ‘Super’ Kevin Phillips two decades ago, Wyke has never really shown desire to sign a new contract at the Stadium of Light.
Sunderland’s fateful defeat to Lincoln City in the League One play-off semi-final felt like a killer blow to Lee Johnson’s hopes; confirmation that Wyke needed to look elsewhere if he wanted to realise his ambitions in the professional game.
According to the Northern Echo, Scottish giants Celtic have held a fresh round of talks with the late-blooming 28-year-old this week, with Wyke preferring a move to Parkhead over a potential switch to Nottingham Forest, Cardiff City, Millwall or any other Championship club on the lookout for a new number nine.
Will Charlie Wyke swap Sunderland for Celtic?
And while some at Sunderland will hope Wyke can be still be convinced, reports linking Joe Pigott with a move to the north east seem to reflect the fact they are fighting a losing battle (The News).
Standing at 6ft 2in, Pigott is an old-school target man just like Wyke.
And while he scored 22 goals compared with Wyke’s 30 last season, it must be said Pigott was leading the line for an AFC Wimbledon side battling relegation, not fighting for promotion.
Not only a penalty-box predator, Pigott also has the odd long-range stunner and pinpoint free-kick in his locker. There’s an argument to be made that he’d actually give Sunderland’s somewhat one-dimensional attack something a little different.
Whether or not Pigott arrives – Championship clubs have held talks too – it seems Sunderland are seriously preparing for life without Wyke for the first time.
And that can only be a good thing. Sunderland won’t want to be caught short in a repeat of that deadline-day Will Grigg saga.
Lesson learned.
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