Championship strugglers Sunderland and Queens Park Rangers are in the market for a striker with Jack Marriott of Peterborough United on their radar.
Sunderland and QPR are both in desperate need of strengthening their squad in January with the threat of relegation breathing down their necks.
Unfortunately, that is easier said than done. Only ten clubs in Europe are in more debt that Sunderland, with wantaway owner Ellis Short is unwilling to invest any more money in the squad. Manager Chris Coleman has even admitted that there may not be anything to spend in the New Year, as reported by The Chronicle.
QPR are in a similar situation, the threat of Financial Fair Play sanctions meaning Ian Holloway’s side will be forced to rely upon cut-price deals or the loan market in order to improve an attack which is clearly lacking a prolific goalscorer.
It goes without saying, then, that signing Peterborough United striker Jack Marriott in the New Year would carry a great deal of risk – particularly as The Mail state that Posh are looking at around £2.5 million for their 17-goal talisman.
Just for the record, that is more than both Sunderland and QPR spent between them during the summer transfer window.
Both teams require a goalscorer to fire them to safety, particularly Sunderland – who are in danger of losing top scorer Lewis Grabban with parent club Bournemouth able to re-call him from his loan spell on Wearside.
But while Marriott has enjoyed a fine first season for Peterborough, he has never played as high as the Championship and no one can tell for sure whether he will star in the second tier like Britt Assombalonga or struggle to make the grade, a la current QPR frontman Connor Washington.
At £2.5 million, Marriott may be a risk Sunderland and QPR cannot afford to take – literally.
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