Sunderland should do everything they can to sign Billy Sharp

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Sunderland were rumoured to have been preparing a bid for the player, with the Black Cats still on the hunt for a striker.

Sunderland have begun to make move’s in this summer’s transfer market, signing a number of quality players, including Dylan McGeouch and Chris Maguire, but the Black Cats still require a prolific goal-scorer for League One next season.

The Black Cats have lost one or two of their more reliable forwards who could have played a part in their assault on the third tier, one of which was young prospect Joel Asoro, who moved to Championship club Swansea. But money received for those attackers will certainly help with the quest for a new goal-scorer.

One of the forward’s linked with the club via the Sunderland Echo in the last few weeks has been Sheffield United’s Billy Sharp and, despite suggestions that the 32-year-old is happy with the Championship club, the Wearside team should be doing everything they can to sign the forward.

Sharp has been at Sheffield United since 2015, where he joined the Championship club for a third stint, and the forward has scored 64 goals in 124 appearances; many of which were in the Blades’ promotion season from League One.

The forward may well be settled with the second tier side and content with sporadic appearances in Chris Wilder’s first-team but, if Sunderland utilised some of their transfer kitty, they could tempt Sharp into a potential move to Wearside.

The former Southampton man has experience in the third tier with several different clubs, including Doncaster Rovers, Scunthorpe United and even with his current team in previous seasons, making him an excellent signing and a player who could make the difference for Sunderland next year.

Sharp’s age, as well as Sheffield United’s preference for playing some of their other strikers, suggests the former Scunthorpe man will not get as much game time as he may desire next season, which could be a chance for new boss Jack Ross and Black Cats owner Stewart Donald to make their move.

Sharp has a proven track record in England’s third division, with one of his best season’s coming when he played for Scunthorpe United in 2007. The Sheffield-born man struck up a potent strike-force with Andy Keogh, with the pair scoring 38 goals between them that season, 23 of which were Sharp’s.

42-year-old Ross may have to convince the player to move to a club that has been on the end of back-to-back relegations, but money talks and the attraction of playing in front of a high capacity crowd every week could just sway the forward to join a new era on Wearside.