What might the future hold for Leon Dajaku?

Malc Dugdale says…

I’m really confused about the situation with Dajaku.

We signed him under circumstances that may not have happened had Tony Mowbray been involved at the time. That said, he seems to be in and out of the squad like a fiddler’s elbow, and mainly from the bench.

His fleeting appearances and Instagram posts seem to be as regular as each other and that’s doing nothing for his development, nor his potential resale value.

I’d loan him to a League One side and get him playing regular football in order to get a better handle on his potential and his limitations.

It’s of no use to anyone if things persist as they are, and we’ll be paying him a substantial wage, so let’s sort something out in this window and get him loaned out.

Photo by Steven Paston/PA Images via Getty Images

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Matt Smith says…

I really thought that the combination of Ellis Simms being recalled to Everton and FA Cup fixtures would allow Dajaku to potentially stake a claim as a backup striker.

I can’t say I was excited at the prospect, based on past performances when he’s been used up front, but I was certainly intrigued and Tony Mowbray’s comments seemed to suggest that the lad still had a genuine future at the club.

With the boss’s confidence and a run of games under his belt, I thought this would be his chance to prove his worth. However, it feels like I overestimated the esteem in which he’s held by the management team.

At his age he needs to be playing regular football and if we’re not prepared to offer him that, for whatever reason, then it’s in everyone’s interests that losses are cut and he’s moved on permanently.

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Tom Albrighton says…

Dajaku is a mystery.

A player with clear potential, he’s never quite channelled that into any clear development which now sees him lagging behind a squad of players who are improving by the week.

Despite showing glimpses of his raw pace and natural ability, he’s found opportunities limited and he hasn’t taken them when they’ve arrived. Given his use as a number nine during the summer, Dajaku had a real chance to make a claim for the supporting role but he didn’t take it with any real conviction.

Frequent trips to London and Germany, whether injured or otherwise, suggests the time he spends up north is limited - something that Kristjaan Speakman has indicated he doesn’t want.

As for his future? His best option would be a loan spell at a League One club, where he’ll get regular game time and will be able to showcase his ability.

Dajaku isn’t a bad footballer but leaving the lavish trips to London to one side while he asserts his own role in the Sunderland squad may be best for him, and a loan to a hard-working side in the league below may be the answer.

If he can’t cement himself in a League One side or apply himself appropriately, he may find himself on the market come the summer.

Photo by Isaac Parkin/PA Images via Getty Images