Sunderland have targeted a number of Premier League forwards on loan but have belatedly turned their attention towards Swansea City’s Oli McBurnie.
With one day to go in the January transfer window, are Sunderland only now targeting a player they should have moved for at the start of the month?
The Black Cats are cash-strapped, in mountains of debt and unable to sign players on a permanent basis due to their failure to move on a number of high-earning flops. As a result, manager Chris Coleman has been forced to scout the loan market in pursuit of a striker to replace departed top scorer Lewis Grabban.
But after moves for Liverpool’s Ben Woodburn and Burnley’s Jonathan Walters fell through, Sunderland have left it late to express their interest in one Oli McBurnie.
HITC sources have told us that the Wearsiders are keen to borrow the 21-year-old from Swansea City for the rest of the campaign. It is understood that the Swans would be willing to let the striker, who has started just two league games all season, leave on a temporary basis to get some experience under his belt.
Now, McBurnie is not the first young Premier League striker Sunderland have considered. Along with Woodburn, the Daily Mail stated that they were also keen on Manchester City hotshot Lukas Nmecha.
But McBurnie, over the last 18 months or so, has been the most impressive goal-scoring prospect in English football.
He won the Premier League 2 Player of the Year award last season and has ten goals in just seven games at under-23 level since the start of 2017/18. These are figures that Nmecha or Woodburn, regardless of their boundless potential, simply cannot match.
And while McBurnie has not scored a senior league goal for the Swans, he has not looked out of place when given a chance in the first-team.
In short, McBurnie looks perfect for Sunderland. And any deal would be better late than never.
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