Sunderland struck gold with Van Aanholt

Sunderland have reaped the advantages of their work within the switch market lately by securing promotion again to the Championship.

Signing the likes of Ross Stewart, Alex Pritchard, and Jack Clarke, amongst others, helped them to finish their four-year stint within the third tier of English soccer.

Nonetheless, they’ve additionally been stung available in the market over time by signing gamers who did not dwell as much as their price ticket, together with Didier Ndong and Jack Rodwell.

One participant the membership did strike gold with was left-back Patrick van Aanholt, who they signed from Chelsea for a reported charge of £1.5m on a four-year deal in the summertime of 2014.

He arrived on Wearside with five Premier League appearances beneath his belt and the Black Cats took a threat on him having the ability to play commonly within the high flight.

The complete-back hit the bottom operating as he performed 28 league matches in his debut marketing campaign and assisted five targets from left-back, as he established himself as an everyday within the workforce.

Did Sunderland strike gold with van Aanholt?

Van Aanholt then featured in 33 Premier League matches in his second season and averaged a wonderful SofaScore rating of 6.97 as he scored four targets and supplied three assists. He additionally made a whopping 4.5 tackles and interceptions per sport as he confirmed that he had the standard to make a big effect at each ends of the pitch while delivering persistently spectacular shows.

In January of the next marketing campaign, after enjoying one other 21 instances within the league, the Dutchman determined that he needed a brand new problem and handed in a switch request to the membership.

Whereas hardly excellent information, this led to him sealing a £14m switch to fellow Premier League aspect Crystal Palace. Eagles supervisor Sam Allardyce hailed the full-back, who he had managed on the Stadium of Gentle, on the time of the transfer, saying:

“Hopefully his affect is instantaneous. He was instrumental in Sunderland’s struggle for survival final yr, not simply as a full-back however for targets. We wish him to defend properly as a result of we’re conceding too many targets. He’ll assist at each ends.”

Sunderland struck gold with van Aanholt as they obtained 95 video games, and 18 direct purpose contributions, of service out of him and made an 833% revenue on the preliminary £1.5m they paid for him after two-and-a-half years.

The dynamo went on to attain 14 targets in 134 appearances for Palace and at the moment performs for Turkish giants Galatasaray after leaving England in 2021, and the Black Cats will be happy with the numerous half they performed in his profession going the way in which it went.