Sunderland finally managed to get their first Premier League win of the season in the 11th game week as they defeated Eddie Howe’s Bournemouth 1-2 away from home. The Black Cats came back from 1-0 down to win the game 1-2 thanks to goals from Jermain Defoe and Victor Anichebe. Well, the fans would not have liked the international break just after their first win of the season but it’s pretty clear that Sunderland are in deep trouble this season despite their first win recently.
David Moyes came to the hot-seat left by Sam Allardyce as the latter got the England job in the summer and the fans had big hopes from the former Everton and Manchester United manager. However, the start of the season has been a big letdown. It is claimed that Sunderland want Leicester City striker Leonardo Ulloa in January but The Telegraph claims that the Foxes want as much as £10m for the Argentine forward.
One of the many reasons behind Sunderland’s below par start to this season is their over-reliance on veteran Jermain Defoe. The Englishman has 6 Premier League goals to his name this season from 11 games. Is it really fair to ask more from a 34-year-old? The only other option up front for the Black Cats up is Victor Anichebe who is clearly not good enough on a consistent basis for the Premier League.
Ulloa comes with a decent amount of Premier League experience. He was once the club record signing at the King Power Stadium and had a decent debut season in the top tier.
Last season, Ulloa was not a regular starter for the Foxes but still played a significant role in the Foxes’ amazing title win. However, the Argentine has not even started a single Premier League game this season after the arrival of Islam Slimani and looking for a way out to get regular playing time.
Ulloa is an out and out ‘target man’ kind of forward. Even though all his 7 Premier League appearances this season has been from the bench, he has still won 1.3 aerial balls every game which speaks volumes about his excellent aerial ability.
The Argentine’s 75.8% passing accuracy is also quite good for a striker and he can create a good partnership with Defoe up front, not the deadliest partnership but good enough to help Sunderland retain their Premier League status for another season.
Well, £10m is a bit too much for a player who is 30 now but Ulloa is a proven striker in the Premier League, exactly what Sunderland need. The Black Cats are in no position to break the bank on a player from a foreign league who will take his time to find his feet in English football. Ulloa also need a move out at any cost to get regular playing time. So, this move makes sense for both parties.
