Blackburn Rovers’ Luke Steele is Sunderland’s latest goalkeeping target.
Almost six weeks have passed since Everton made Jordan Pickford the most expensive British goalkeeper of all time. Since then, more shot-stoppers have departed Sunderland than arrived.
Vito Mannone, back-up to Pickford at the Stadium of Light last season, left for Championship rivals Reading on Thursday, leaving forgotten Portuguese glovesman Mika and youngster Max Stryjek as Sunderland’s only goalkeeping options with the new Championship season looming large.
For what it’s worth, neither Mika nor Stryjek have ever made a first-team appearance for the club.
Grayson needs a goalkeeper and fast
And with reported targets Sam Johnstone going to Aston Villa on loan, Eldin Jakupovic swapping Hull City for Leicester and veteran stopper Rob Green still at Leeds, manager Simon Grayson is still on the lookout for a new number one.
Trialist Robbin Ruiter, the 30-year-old released by Utrecht at the end of last season, did his chances of a contract no harm with a super performance in a recent 3-2 pre-season victory at Bradford City.
And he remains the most likely addition with a deal for Blackburn Rovers’ keeper Luke Steele in doubt. The Sunderland Echo claim the locally-born former Middlesbrough stopper is the subject of firm interest from The Wearsiders, and is well within budget at just £500,000.
However, if Rovers boss Tony Mowbray is to be believed, a deal may be far easier said than done.
“It’s not easy, every day we are trying to stay strong as a football club knowing that we don’t want to sell our best players if we are to achieve our aims this season,” Mowbray told the Lancashire Telegraph. “We are in a position where we don’t have to sell a footballer.”
Steele still impressed despite Blackburn’s relegation
This is despite Blackburn suffering relegation to League One last season. And Mowbray’s comments are hardly music to the ears of Sunderland.
Steele, who represented Team GB at the 2012 London Olympics, ticked all the boxes – he knows the area and could have cost a bargain fee. However, like Johnstone and Jakupovic, Steele appears to be slipping out of their grasp.
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