Kristjaan Speakman maintains Sunderland has complete faith in their forward options for the remainder of the season, after the search for another striker offered no results on deadline day.
Sunderland were aiming to acquire a seasoned forward in the latter stages of the January transfer window to relieve the strain on the four summer acquisitions, and they were interested in a deal for Kieffer Moore. Ipswich Town eventually signed Moore after making a big cash offer to secure a loan deal, and the Black Cats considered other options as a result.
According to Speakman, the search went ‘right down to the wire,’ but availability and value for money led them to stick with what they already had in the building. Sunderland expressed interest in Amad, a forward, but Manchester United made it clear that he would not be leaving Old Trafford.
“The nine position is very similar to all the rest of them,” he remarked.
“You have three or four things to prioritise, and I believe forward positions are always an area you want to improve if possible. We went down to the wire on three or four of them, and by the end, we knew it wasn’t going to happen for a variety of reasons, one of which was availability.
“Ultimately, finance becomes involved, and there is an option to spend more and more, but there comes a point when you have to weigh that against the value, which in this case did not come through for us. To be honest, it isn’t anything that causes a lot of frustration. We boosted our forward line with Romaine’s arrival, and we now have three players in the building who we believe in.”
Speakman expressed confidence that Sunderland’s attacking options would yield results between now and the end of the season, stating that goals must come from all over the pitch in today’s game.
“I think for most of the season creating chances has not been an issue for us,” he remarked.
“I believe we have long been at the top of the list for XG and other data. It has been about converting those opportunities. I believe there is a lot of talk about nines. I believe that if you look at the facts and details, there are a lot more goals coming from different areas of the pitch for every side in this league and others.
“We need different goal scorers from different parts of the pitch and them two or three players to score some good numbers and hopefully that’s what we can deliver.”
Sunderland will now go to Middlesbrough on Sunday lunchtime, looking to build on last weekend’s 3-1 victory against Stoke City.
