Sunderland are in need of a new energetic holding midfielder.
Sunderland manager David Moyes
Sunderland have endured a dreadful start to the Premier League season, and many feel that without key additions in January they will be all-but assured of relegation to the Championship.
The Black Cats, despite finally winning their first Premier League match as they beat Bournemouth 2-1 last weekend, find themselves bottom of the table and some six points from safety.
David Moyes hasn’t enjoyed a great debut season on Wearside so far, and many point to their lack of signings in key areas during the summer as pivotal to their recent struggles.
Yann M’Vila celebrates at the end of the match
Sam Allardyce managed to keep the Black Cats in the top-flight against the odds last season, and one of the key performers under his guidance towards the end of the campaign was midfielder Yann M’Vila.
The holding midfielder was on a season-long loan at the Stadium of Light, yet for one reason or another the switch wasn’t made permanent in the summer and he has been a massive loss this term.
Sunderland need another player in there, and should a M’Vila return in January out to be no more than a pipe dream then the North East club should take a gamble on Montpellier’s Ellyes Skhiri.
| Tackles per game | Effective Clearances per game | Interceptions per game | Aerial Duels Won per game | Accurate Passes per game | Appearances | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ellyes Skhiri | 2.8 | 2.1 | 3.8 | 2.6 | 41.7 | 11 |
| Lynden Gooch | 1.13 | 0.13 | 0.63 | 0.13 | 7.75 | 8 |
| Didier Ndong | 1.13 | 0.63 | 2 | 0.25 | 29.75 | 8 |
| Jack Rodwell | 1.13 | 2.63 | 0.75 | 2 | 24.88 | 8 |
| Jan Kirchhoff | 1.75 | 1.5 | 1.75 | 2.25 | 23.75 | 4 |
| Lee Cattermole | 1 | 2 | 2.5 | 0.5 | 28.5 | 2 |
As shown by the table above, the 21-year-old French-born holding midfielder has been impressive for his side this season and certainly excels where Sunderland’s other midfielders sadly fall short.
Skhiri boasts an impressive average of 3.8 interceptions, 2.8 tackles, 2.6 aerial duels won and 2.1 clearances per league encounter – figures higher than what any Sunderland midfielder has achieved this term.
Ellyes Skhiri
The Tunisia U23 international has been one of the leading holding midfielders in France this season, and many have praised his awareness off the ball and his energy levels in breaking up the play.
Sunderland need that extra bite in the middle of the park, and without a new addition in that area in January they will certainly continue to struggle and likely end up as one of the teams heading for the drop.
General view – Stadium of Light Sunderland
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