With Sunderland shopping for goals this summer, they have seemingly opted for two players with inconsistent records.
It is not yet clear what Sunderland are targeting in the coming Championship season, but, following their relegation, it would be fair to assume they will be looking at the upper end of the table.
Teams that have achieved automatic promotion in recent years have largely been able to call on a consistent goalscorer – Dwight Gayle at Newcastle United, Glenn Murray at Brighton and Hove Albion, Andre Gray at Burnley – but the Black Cats have lost Jermain Defoe to Bournemouth this summer.
Instead, Simon Grayson has had to look elsewhere for his striking answer, turning to Bury’s James Vaughan and now – according to the Daily Mail – making an approach for Lewis Grabban.
Both players have previously hit double figures in the second tier, but their recent scoring records suggest it could be risky to rely on the two as a pair.
Although Vaughan netted 24 times in League One last season, his previous Championship campaign saw him fail to score in 19 appearances; Grabban, meanwhile, has hit the net just four times in the last two years across the top two divisions.
With Sunderland depending on Defoe for so much of their goal threat last term – and still suffering relegation – they are likely going to require one of Vaughan or Grabban, should he sign, to seriously up their game in the coming months.
The other option, of course, would be for Grayson to hunt yet another front man…
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