Ryan Mason is in talks to join Sunderland from Tottenham.
Sunderland have joined Hull in the race to sign Tottenham midfielder Ryan Mason, according to Sky Sports.
The 25-year-old looks set to leave White Hart Lane after falling down the pecking order under Mauricio Pochettino, and held talks with Hull about a move to the KCOM Stadium.
The England international is now believed to have held talks with Sunderland, who are looking for reinforcements themselves.
Ryan Mason celebrates scoring the first goal for Tottenham
With the Black Cats now in the running for Mason, Sunderland fans will be considering where he will fit into Moyes’ starting XI.
Last season, Sunderland’s favoured midfield three consisted of Lee Cattermole, Jan Kirchhoff and Yann M’Vila, who has since returned to Rubin Kazan after his loan spell on Wearside ended.
Cattermole and Kirchhoff have been ruled out with injury all season, while M’Vila has been constantly linked with a permanent return to the Stadium of Light since he left, but how do the three compare to Mason?
| 2015/16 | Appearances | Goals | Assists | Total Passes | Accurate Passes | Total Tackles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yann M’Vila | 37 | 1 | 4 | 1679 | 1367 | 99 |
| Lee Cattermole | 31 | 0 | 0 | 929 | 702 | 57 |
| Ryan Mason | 22 | 1 | 0 | 526 | 454 | 25 |
| Jan Kirchhoff | 15 | 0 | 0 | 553 | 384 | 51 |
The stats don’t look favourably towards Mason, who is eclipsed both offensively and defensively.
Since replacing Sam Allardyce, Moyes has preferred to play with two holding midfielders and one behind the striker, rather than the England manager’s more rigid midfield three.
Sunderland’s Yann M’Vila celebrates at the end of the match
If Sunderland were to play a defensive two, Kirchhoff and M’Vila would be the two best options, assuming the Frenchman concludes a deal to come back.
25-year-old Kirchhoff provided the perfect shield in front of the defence, making 51 tackles in only 15 games, double the amount that Mason made and only six shy of Cattermole, who made more appearances.
Offensively, Mason only scored once, ironically against Sunderland, and created a grand total of zero goals. In comparison, M’Vila scored once himself, a free kick versus Aston Villa, but also recorded four assists.
Tottenham’s Ryan Mason clashes with Chelsea’s Diego Costa
If Mason is to join Sunderland, and is seen as an alternative to M’Vila, his attacking influence must improve drastically if he is to prove his worth.
One area which Mason came out on top was passing accuracy, with 86% of his passes finding their man, which is no surprise when he played in a Tottenham side that moved the ball so effectively last term.
Based on the stats, signing Mason may not be the best move by Moyes, with a move for the tried and tested M’Vila looking more desirable.
Sunderland manager David Moyes before the match
The 26-year-old was a fan-favourite in red and white last season, and would be more welcome on Wearside compared to Ryan Mason.
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