Former Wolverhampton Wanderers defender Connor Johnson is on trial at Sunderland as the free agent bids to win a contract at the Stadium of Light, according to the Sunderland Echo.
Phil Parkinson’s promotion chasers signed not one, not two but three unattached central defenders in the summer transfer window.
But while Bailey Wright continues to make a transformative impact on Wearside, Morgan Feeney and Arbenit Xhemajli have both been ruled out for the long haul already with serious injuries.
The latter, a Kosovan international snapped up from Swiss football, is unlikely to play again in 2020/21. Perhaps Black Cats are bad luck after all.
Parkinson has already admitted he would be willing to dip into the free-agent pool once again to reinforce his stricken back line, with Callum McFadzean arriving from Plymouth Argyle last week.
And, according to the Echo, Johnson was wearing red-and-white stripes during Sunderland’s 5-3 Premier League 2 victory over Fulham U23s on Monday, starting in a back three alongside Oliver Younger and Patrick Almond.
The Kettering-born 22-year-old was released by Wolves in May but has plenty of senior appearances under his belt after loan spells at Telford United, Walsall and Kilmarnock.
“He’s got a good attitude and he wants to learn, improve and play at a high level,” Kettering coach Sean Parrish told the Shropshire Star in 2018.
“He has first got to learn and do the basics with us if he has aspirations of doing that. Connor is a great lad with a good family. He wants to improve and is always learning.”
Considering Sunderland conceded three times against Fulham, it’s safe to assume Johnson and co failed to produce a faultless defensive performance on Monday.
And it remains to be seen how much longer he has to impress on Wearside at a club carved apart at home by promotion rivals Portsmouth on Saturday.
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