Sunderland Could Sign Their Next Bolo Zenden

Sunderland have been linked with signing SC Heerenveen midfielder Thom Haye forward of the summer season switch window and the Dutchman may show to be the following Bolo Zenden on the Stadium of Gentle.

May Sunderland signal Thom Haye?

It was reported earlier this month by Dutch journalist Sander de Vries that Sunderland are among the many golf equipment concerned about signing the 28-year-old this summer season after one other spectacular season within the Eredivisie.

Haye has beforehand attracted curiosity from France and has only one 12 months left on his contract on the Abe Lenstra stadium, which means that he could possibly be a comparatively low-cost possibility for Sunderland within the low season, with Transfermarkt valuing him at simply €2m (£1.7m).

Would Haye be a great signing?

Haye’s performances within the Netherlands’ prime flight this season definitely recommend that he could possibly be a wonderful addition to Tony Mowbray’s squad forward of the 2023/24 marketing campaign when the Black Cats will probably be trying to push on once more after falling brief within the playoffs just lately.

In 30 appearances for Kees van Wonderen’s facet, the versatile midfielder has contributed two objectives and three assists with a robust 7.05 score from WhoScored for his performances.

For context, solely Ross Stewart, Jack Clarke and Amad Diallo earned higher average ratings on the Stadium of Gentle this season, which emphasises the standard that he may add in the midst of the park.

The Heerenveen man’s return of 1.2 pictures, 1.5 key passes and a pair of.7 tackles per sport suggests that he’s a box-to-box all-rounder, together with his sort out file unmatched in Sunderland’s squad, whereas solely Clarke managed extra key passes per match.

Dubbed “impressive” by Dutch journalist Reon Boeringa, the £2.6k-per-week star might effectively remind Sunderland followers of cult hero Zenden, who featured on the Stadium of Gentle for 2 years on the finish of a glittering profession which included spells with Liverpool, Barcelona and Marseille.

May Haye be Sunderland’s subsequent Zenden?

Whereas Zenden featured as a left-winger for a lot of his profession, he predominantly featured as a central midfielder beneath Steve Bruce between 2009-11.

He would go on to make 50 appearances for Sunderland, contributing 4 objectives and 5 assists and serving to the Black Cats to spectacular thirteenth and tenth-placed finishes within the Premier League, in what may definitely be considered the most effective durations within the membership’s latest historical past.

WhoScored means that Haye excels at plenty of issues together with passing, dribbling, tackling, enjoying key passes and taking set-pieces. Like Zenden, due to this fact, he clearly has lots of high quality on the ball.

As such, their nationality, comparable positions and talent in possession recommend that Haye may effectively emulate the previous Sunderland star ought to he make the transfer to the north east this summer season.