Having managed to lift themselves off the bottom place in the Championship points table, Chris Coleman’s Sunderland are looking to get back to safety by finding some consistency for the rest of the season. The manager can certainly not be pleased with the performances of his side his season and is desperately looking to add quality to the squad, that can help them to safety in the Championship.
This has seen Sunderland linked with some exciting talent for a move in January and one name constantly doing the rounds is Hakeeb Adelakun.
Having learnt at the Crystal Palace and West Ham United academies, the 21-year old joined Scunthorpe United back in 2012 and made an immediate impact at the Glanford Park. He has two goals and nine assists in 20 League One appearances this season. He has 12 goals and 16 assists in 92 League One appearances and is an established star in the domestic circuit in England.
He was voted the ‘EFL Young Player of the Month’ for November and is now attracting interests from a number of clubs in the top tiers. The likes of Hull City, Barnsley and Crystal Palace are all scouting for him along with Sunderland, who are ready to meet his £1m valuation in the winter transfer window.
Known for his dangerous pace and dribbling abilities, Adelakun is a smart footballer, who is at his best, playing on the right side of the midfield. He is a decent passer of the ball and can hold up play well in the final third, but his biggest threat to goal is his ability to take on his man on the wing, and delivering accurate crosses consistently.
He is improving on his finishing, as is evident this season but needs to work a lot on his defensive discipline. His work rate is also impressive, which makes him a decent option for a club in the Championship. He can also play on the left wing, or in an attacking role through the middle and his versatility will only make him an even more attractive option in January.
At the Stadium of Light, Coleman has used Callum McManaman, Duncan Watmore, Didier NDong, Adam Matthews, and Lyden Gooch as backups to George Honeyman, who has been the first choice on the right flank. Watmore is now injured while a couple of those names have just not been able to show any consistency this season, making Adelakun a necessity.
The manager has used a variety of systems at the club and in most of those, Adelakun will add a lot of quality and excitement to this Sunderland squad.
He is out of a contract at the end of the season but the Black Cats are not ready to wait till the summer to lay their hands on the highly rated winger but do you think Adelakun can help Sunderland to safety this season?
