Sunderland: Gelhardt could replace Simms

The January switch window is nicely underway and Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray could look to enhance his squad on the Stadium of Gentle earlier than the tip of the month.

His facet are at the moment eighth within the Championship table and one level off the play-off locations and which means that the Black Cats are nonetheless in with a shot at reaching the Premier League on the finish of the marketing campaign.

With this in thoughts, Mowbray might need to strengthen his facet to be able to enhance the membership’s possibilities of ending up within the prime six and sealing a spot within the play-offs.

Sunderland’s squad has already taken a success this month as Premier League facet Everton opted to make use of their choice to recall striker Ellis Simms from his mortgage on Wearside.

The English centre-forward loved a wonderful first half of the marketing campaign with the Black Cats and his departure has come as a blow to the facet.

Solely Ross Stewart and Alex Pritchard have averaged larger Sofascore rankings for the membership than Simms (7.03) within the Championship this season, which means that he was one of many group’s prime performers previous to returning to Goodison Park.

The 22-year-old plundered seven objectives and two assists, while creating five ‘huge possibilities’ for his teammates, in 14 begins within the division and this reveals that he was in a position to recurrently contribute with high quality moments within the last third.

Mowbray might now lastly exchange Simms, nearly midway via the switch window, by securing a deal to signal Joe Gelhardt on mortgage from Leeds United within the coming weeks.

The Black Cats are reportedly concerned with a deal to signal the younger striker on a short lived foundation from the Premier League membership and his file at youth stage signifies that he may very well be a wonderful signing.

Would Joe Gelhardt be a very good signing?

Gelhardt, 20, has produced 20 objectives and six assists in 31 U21 appearances for the Whites and managed five objectives in 5 U18 matches for Wigan previous to his transfer to Elland Highway.

The £15k-per-week gem, who was as soon as hailed as “absolutely outrageous” by reporter Beren Cross, has additionally showcased his high quality at first-team stage with two objectives and 5 assists in six Premier League begins – enjoying 34 instances in complete.

His statistics within the senior and youth groups at Leeds counsel that he has the potential to be an excellent addition to Sunderland’s squad as he might thrive within the last third with a run of successive begins at a decrease stage within the Championship.

He has proven that he has the standard to attain and help objectives within the Premier League and Mowbray should now push Kristjaan Speakman to snap the younger gem up as Simms’ eventual alternative.