Sunderland are keen to sign £1.2 million winger Luke Thomas from Barnsley in the January transfer window, although Gloucester Live reports that the Black Cats will face competition from Oxford United.
It took new manager Lee Johnson just a few hours in the job to realise that one of English football’s sleeping giants were in dire need of some ‘pace and power’ in the final third.
And while Thomas may be no Adama Traore, the 21-year-old former Derby County youngster would certainly add some speed and thrust to a Sunderland frontline which has underwhelmed once again in 2020/21 – notwithstanding that 4-0 trouncing of Lincoln City, of course.
Barnsley paid £1.2 million to sign Thomas in the summer of 2019 but, after just a year-and-a-half at Oakwell, he could be on his way again with two clubs in the third-tier showing an interest.
One is Sunderland; the other, an Oxford City side who have flirted dangerously with a relegation battle after reaching the play-offs last term.
“He offers something very different for us and he showed his skill and speed on the ball during pre-season,” Frank Lampard told the Derbyshire Live during Thomas’s time at Pride Park in 2018.
“Luke knows there’s plenty of hard work ahead of him, as he continues to develop and improve, but he certainly has great potential to have a really good career in the game.”
A move to Sunderland could potentially be exactly what Thomas needs to realise his potential, with Black Cats boss Johnson boasting a fine track record when it comes to polishing young diamonds, from Joe Bryan to Bobby Reid.
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