Sunderland were chasing Trippier’s Tottenham Hotspur teammate DeAndre Yedlin earlier this summer.
Southampton have bid for Tottenham Hotspur right-back Kieran Trippier, according to a recent Daily Star report – and it could spell bad news for Sunderland.
The Wearsiders were chasing Trippier’s Spurs teammate DeAndre Yedlin earlier this summer, after the American impressed on loan there last season.
The Mail reported earlier this month that Sunderland were pursuing a permanent deal for Yedlin, but were struggling to agree a fee with the London club.
With their return to Champions League football right around the corner, Spurs are unlikely to allow both back-up right-backs to leave.
That said, Sunderland could still make the best of a bad situation – by entering the running for Trippier.
Though not as quick as Yedlin – admittedly, a difficult ask for anyone – Trippier offers far more than his teammate going forward.
Over the course of the past two Premier League campaigns, the former Burnley man has either assisted or created what Opta deems a ‘big chance’ between twice and three times as often as Yedlin.
| Position | Team | Mins per assist | Mins per ‘big chance’ created | Appearances | Mins Played | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DeAndre Yedlin | DF | Sunderland / Tottenham | 1,823 | 911.5 | 24 | 1,823 |
| Kieran Trippier | DF | Tottenham / Burnley | 774.8 | 387.4 | 44 | 3,874 |
With that in mind, £5 million would be a relatively cheap outlay, especially if Lamine Kone is sold to Everton for triple that amount, as HITC Sport understands is likely.
Sunderland, you’d think, would also have the upper hand on rival suitors Southampton, in that they could guarantee Trippier first team football, with Euro 2016 winner Cedric Soares currently occupying the same position for Saints.
Southampton’s apparent interest might well have done the Mackems a favour.
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