Sunderland have been excellent on their return to the Premier League, and with Regis Le Bris‘s side having avoided the anxiety of a relegation battle, they can look ahead to another campaign in the big time.
We don’t want to tempt fate, but it would take a staggering collapse for Sunderland to fall into the bottom three over the final two months of the season, with one of the relegation stragglers also needing to overturn a 12-point deficit across nine fixtures.
Though the Black Cats have been one of the biggest success stories of the season, there is still work to do. Le Bris will hope to continue this run of sharp recruitment and avoid second-season syndrome in 2025/26.
To ensure this happens, the Wearsiders are building their frontline.
How Sunderland are building their frontline
Up front, Sunderland have been economical and entertaining, if not quite as electric as they were in the Championship last season.
Sunderland are among the best coached sides in the Premier League, but there’s a sense that move quality is needed in attack. Brian Brobbey‘s absence in attack has accentuated that, the Dutch striker having signed for £25m last summer.
Brobbey, 24, has been described as a “natural-born killer” in front of goal by talent scout Jacek Kulig, but he’s only scored five times in the Premier League this
However, for all their strengths, the Sunderland forwards have left a lot to be desired in terms of chance creation and sharpness in the final third.
|
Lowest xG Totals in the Premier League (25/26) |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Club |
Goals Scored |
xG Total |
|
(16) Nott’m Forest |
28 |
35.06 |
|
(17) Tottenham |
39 |
34.21 |
|
(18) Sunderland |
30 |
30.08 |
|
(19) Wolves |
22 |
27.92 |
|
(20) Burnley |
32 |
27.32 |
Expected Goals (xG) is a metric designed to measure the probability of a shot resulting in a goal.
There is work still to be done, especially if Le Bris wants to ensure his side’s success over many years in the Premier League.
With that in mind, it’s hardly a surprise that efforts have already been made to strengthen the attack with the new version of Amad Diallo.
Le Bris has hit gold on the new Amad
Sunderland have a number of exciting forwards in their ranks, but whether they have a top-class seat-raiser like Amad, who thrived during a loan spell at the Stadium of Light in 2022/23 is another question.
However, Le Bris sought to fix that during the winter transfer window, signing Ecuadorian winger Nilson Angulo in a £17.5m deal on deadline day, arriving from Anderlecht after an impressive stint on the Belgian scene.
The 22-year-old is versatile and dynamic but principally plays as a left-sided attacking midfielder, hailed by journalist Diego Briones for being “very intense without the ball and selfless in dropping back when needed.”
He’s scarcely set foot into the Premier League but has already showcased considerable potential, such a hard worker and with the technical ability to become one of the best attackers in the division.
He wins duels and gets stuck in, boasting an Antoine Semenyo-esque quality in that regard, for he is direct too.
Fast and furious, the Ecuador international has the potential to become the perfect partner for Brobbey at number nine. Though his first few weeks in England have drawn attention to his defensive skillset and energy against the ball, Belgian football podcaster Scott Coyne has remarked that “his pace is probably one of his biggest attributes.”
Angulo is probably not the finished article, but he’s still a top talent who has already demonstrated that he has the tools to thrive in the English game.
Sunderland are safe, and can foster a new attacking environment with Angulo among the centrepieces. Ahead of the new campaign, Le Bris has everything he needs to take this Sunderland team to the next level.
Sunderland must regret selling £15m hero who’s now better than Angulo
This former Sunderland star would have added lots of quality to Le Bris’ side