The animosity which the Premier League had on offer last season proved to be too harsh on Sunderland, who withered helplessly and failed to get themselves to the safe zone. The Black Cats were inconsistent, sporadic and frankly speaking, they lacked the mettle which an English top tier club should possess and their relegation to the Championship makes complete sense. However, maintaining the morale in the camp and instilling the belief of getting promotion should be the intangibles that must exist amongst the troops.
Sunderland would be looking keen to earn an immediate promotion back to the Premier League, much like the way their arch rivals, Newcastle United manoeuvred and to do so, they need to amend their loopholes and aim to strengthen their armoury over the course of the summer transfer window. The goalkeeping slot remains an area which needs to be bolstered as they have already sold Jordan Pickford and Vito Mannone to Everton and Reading respectively. Reinforcements are needed, and a goalie with experience of Championship will certainly help them in their cause.
If the latest reports are to be believed, Sunderland are attempting to lure Jason Steele to the Stadium of Light this summer. The new manager, Simon Grayson, has put the Blackburn Rovers goalkeeper on his radar after being impressed by him considerably. Steele emerged through the youth ranks of Middlesbrough and was eventually promoted to the senior side, wherein he carved a name for himself. In 2014, he joined Rovers on loan and having impressed, a permanent move to Ewood Park followed.
Sunderland are left without a senior goalkeeper as Max Stryjek and Mika are yet to register a first-team appearance to their name. For £500,000, the Tyne and Wear based club would be laying their hands upon a player whom they can rely on when he is stationed between the sticks. The Englishman has a good positional awareness, he deals with the crosses well, commands the back line, is a decent distributor of the ball and given the experience which he possesses, he could solve one of the major headaches of Grayson.
Steele piled 39 appearances for the Lancashire based side last term, earning 6 clean sheets and making 100 saves. However, the 26-year-old failed to keep his employers away from the clutches of relegation as they got demoted to League One. In a circumstance like this, Steele might be personally looking for an endeavour better than League One and Sunderland could be an excellent option for him, considering that they would have Championship football on offer.
Statistics Credits: Squawka
