Sunderland dropped clanger with Altidore

Sunderland have had their fair proportion of switch successes and failures available in the market through the years with cut price buys and big flops on Wearside.

Not each switch goes to work out completely with a large number of things deciding whether or not or not a signing finally ends up being a hit; together with how they adapt to life in England, how they match into the crew’s set-up, how fortunate they’re with accidents, and the way they adapt to a change in administration, amongst different potential hindrances.

One participant the membership dropped a clanger with was the signing of Jozy Altidore from AZ Alkmaar in the summertime of 2013, for a reported price within the area of £6m.

He was Paulo Di Canio’s sixth signing of that window and ended up being a “flop” – as he was dubbed by Sunderland Echo’s James Copley – on the Stadium of Gentle as he struggled on the prime finish of the pitch.

The ahead had arrived on the membership after a formidable spell within the Netherlands with Alkmaar. He had scored 51 targets in 93 appearances for the Dutch facet previous to becoming a member of the Black Cats, together with 23 targets in 33 Eredivisie begins within the 2012/13 marketing campaign.

With that eye-catching report, you would forgive Sunderland followers for anticipating to see a predatory, scientific, finisher in motion on Wearside in the course of the 2013/14 marketing campaign.

Was Altidore a giant flop?

As a substitute, the supporters watched on as Altidore failed to supply a lot in the way in which of high quality within the remaining third for Di Canio’s facet. He ended the season with one aim in 31 Premier League matches, averaging a WhoScored rating of 6.45 – putting him 21st within the squad.

The next season, the 115-cap USA worldwide performed 11 matches within the top-flight and was unable to provide a single aim or help as he averaged a WhoScored rating of 6.15, which positioned him 24th (out of 25) within the roster.

His disappointing shows on the pitch led to him being sold to MLS facet Toronto in January 2015 and he went on to attain 79 targets in 173 matches for the Canadian outfit.

The striker ended his Sunderland profession with three targets and eight assists in 52 appearances in all competitions, though solely a kind of targets and three of these assists got here in his 42 Premier League outings.

Because of this he value the membership £2m per aim, £6m per league aim, for the £6m they paid to signal him from AZ Alkmaar in the summertime of 2013.

Subsequently, Di Canio dropped a clanger with the signing of Altidore as he was an costly flop who did not ship on the pitch for the Black Cats, each when it comes to the overall customary of his performances and his finish product.