Would Phil Parkinson’s Sunderland be struggling this badly if Florian Kamberi was playing in League One?
Florian Kamberi has admitted that he could have signed for Sunderland during Jack Ross’s time in charge at the Stadium of Light with player and manager now finally working together at Hibernian, in quotes reported by Not The Old Firm.
The Swiss striker has made a fine start to life under Ross at Easter Road, scoring his seventh goal in 15 games this season during Saturday’s 3-1 home win against Motherwell.
Kamberi, who appeared to have a strained relationship with former Hibs boss Paul Heckingbottom, is clearly relishing a fresh start as he looks to find the kind of form which made him one of the Scottish Premiership’s most highly-rated strikers during his first season at Easter Road.
And the former Grasshoppers striker has admitted that he and Ross could have linked up a lot earlier with Sunderland trying and failing to lure him below the border.
“I knew him last summer because he tried to sign me for Sunderland. I know he’s a very good person and a very good manager. Everybody’s looking forward to working with him. He’s a quiet person who knows what’s he’s doing,” Kamberi said.
“Sunderland are a big club and everything and the manager did try to sign me, but in that moment, I felt coming to Hibs and playing in the Premiership was the right move for me.”
Sunderland could do with a striker like Kamberi right now. £4 million man Will Grigg has scored just once in 16 League One games all season long while targetman Charlie Wyke has struggled with injuries ever since joining the Black Cats from Bradford City in the summer of 2018.
With the January transfer window on the horizon, surely Sunderland will be scouring the market for potential attacking additions with Phil Parkinson’s side sliding down the table.
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