Newcastle United striker Daryl Murphy would have been perfect for Sunderland – but he’s heading to Nottingham Forest instead.
In a frustrating summer market, news that Daryl Murphy could be making a return to Sunderland provided rare reason for optimism at the Stadium of Light, as reported by the Northern Echo.
The Republic of Ireland striker ticked all the boxes. He knows the club, having spent five years on Wearside between 2005 and 2010, is a reliable Championship goalscorer and, most importantly of all, was affordable for a club whose spiralling debts contributed heavily to their failure to recruit adequately in the last few seasons.
Sunderland was Murphy’s first club in English football
However, according to the Daily Mail, Sunderland now look certain to miss out. The report claims that Nottingham Forest are closing in on a £2 million deal for the 34-year-old, who helped Sunderland’s local rivals Newcastle United win the Championship title last season, albeit in a bit-part role.
Forest’s need for a new striker is clear with Britt Assombalonga, whose two goals on the final day against Ipswich Town kept the club in the second tier, departing for Middlesbrough in a £15 million deal.
Yet, Sunderland too are crying out for a goalscorer with Jermain Defoe, Fabio Borini and Victor Anichebe all departing this summer. And Murphy, who won the league’s Golden Boot after thumping 27 goals for Ipswich Town in 2014/15, looked the perfect signing on paper – especially at £2 million.
Instead, however, Sunderland may be forced to turn their attention to one of a number of alternatives, potentially Aston Villa’s Ross McCormack or Preston North End’s Jordan Hugill, players who have thrived under Black Cats boss Simon Grayson in the past, per The Chronicle.
Hugill enjoyed the best season of his career at Preston under Grayson in 2016/17
However, the fact Villa paid £12 million for McCormack 12 months ago, and Preston’s determination to hang onto Hugill, means they would cost far more than Murphy.
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