Sunderland should consider re-signing Anichebe as Bolton reportedly eye deal

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Bolton Wanderers and Sunderland are going head-to-head for Championship survival; will they also battle it out to sign Victor Anichebe?

Victor Anichebe might have scored just three goals as Sunderland were relegated from the Premier League but he was a rare bright spark in a dismal campaign for the Black Cats.

And, with his contract at Chinese Super League side Beijing Enterprises coming to an end recently, Anichebe is a free agent and could be set for a return to England.

But not with Sunderland. According to the Birmingham Mail, relegation rivals Bolton Wanderers – who need a striker after top scorer Gary Madine left for Cardiff City in a £6 million deadline day move – are interested in bringing the 29-year-old to the Macron Stadium.

Although Sunderland, like fellow cash-strapped strugglers Bolton, would no doubt love one more striker, too.

They will be relying on Middlesbrough loanee Ashley Fletcher to fire them to safety after they too lost their top scorer, Lewis Grabban, during the January transfer window. Considering that 22-year-old Fletcher flopped at the Riverside, making just three league starts, this is quite a big ask.

So surely Sunderland should also be considering the option of giving Anichebe another chance in English football.

After all, there are just four points between Sunderland and Bolton, and a tight relegation battle could come down to marginal gains and the odd one-goal victory. Whoever manages to sign Anichebe on a free would surely give themselves a better chance of turning no points into one, or one into three, with the powerful hit man in their ranks.

Sunderland spent the whole of January trying and failing to bring goal-scorers to Wearside while staying within their means. Anichebe’s availability, then, could answer their prayers.