Sunderland have signed Joe Gelhardt on loan from Leeds United but lost out to Hamburg in the chase for former KRC Genk striker Andras Nemeth, according to Het Nieuwsblad.
Sunderland and Hamburg; two sleeping giants who have fallen on hard times, potentially waking at last from their long slumber.
With Tony Mowbray steering the ship into far calmer waters, the prospect of successive promotions cannot be totally ruled out at the Stadium of Light. Hamburg, meanwhile, are just two points off the top of the Bundesliga.2 table.
And both clubs now have a new centre-forward at their disposal, providing a timely boost to their promotion prospects. Sunderland confirmed the signing of a ‘special talent’ in Joe Gelhardt on Friday; Leeds becoming the latest club, after Manchester United, Everton, Liverpool and Man City, to entrust Mowbray with one of their most exciting youngsters.
Sunderland sign Joe Gelhardt but also wanted Andras Nemeth
Gelhardt’s arrival offsets the disappointment at missing out on 20-year-old Nemeth. The South Africa-born Hungary international joins Hamburg for around £900,000; the 1983 European champions ‘trumping’ Sunderland while tying Nemeth down until the summer of 2026 at the Volksparkstadion.
“Andras is a modern centre-forward who, in addition to his finishing quality, is also characterised by his understanding of the game,” says HSV sporting director Jonas Boldt.
“We and see him as a player with multifaceted potential.”
Nemeth arrived having made 15 appearances in the Belgian Jupiler League this season, mainly off the bench.
“I like the way how HSV plays,” the youngster adds. “With up-and-coming players and dominant, attacking football. That, together with the good conversations I had with the coach, absolutely convinced me.
“I want to be a part of it and can’t wait to meet the fans in this incredible stadium.”
Sunderland, according to The Echo, had scouted Nemeth ‘for quite a long time’. Gelhardt, however, is a player who should be able to contribute far more instantaneously to the Black Cats’ top-six hopes. Another highly-rated attacker in Isaac Lihadji – once a target for Arsenal and Liverpool – arrives from Lille.
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