Roker Roundtable: Which striker would you like to see Sunderland sign?

Michael Dunne says…

Having watched Tom Cannon play for Preston and the Irish age-group teams, I think he could be a decent option for us.

The rumour is that we’re interested in bringing him in on loan (along with a few other Championship sides) and he offers a different option in comparison to the likes of Hemir and Ross Stewart.

He’s athletic, quick and has shown that he’s got an eye for goal during his previous loan spell. It’s probably important for us to have a different option, to account for scenarios where Tony Mowbray may want to change his tactics.

Cannon’s profile suits us perfectly in terms of how the club wants to bring players in.

At this stage, it seems unlikely that we’ll pay the £8 million fee for him, but a loan move would work perfectly well for all parties, even though it appears that he has an abundance of options to choose from.

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Phil West says...

Let’s go retro. Let’s go back to 2019, and a time when a young fellow called Lawrence Shankland was banging in the goals for Ayr and appearing on the radars of clubs both north and south of the border.

That summer, we were on the lookout for strikers to provide competition for Charlie Wyke and Will Grigg, and I felt that Shankland, a nippy poacher with a keen eye for goal, was that man. Naturally, I didn’t get my wish, he eventually moved to Dundee United, and we struck a loan deal to bring Marc ‘Sparky’ McNulty to Wearside instead.

Four years later, and I actually do believe that Shankland would be a good option for us, to compliment the centre forwards we already have at the club.

He’s capable of scoring all kinds of goals, his record is very, very impressive, and he always comes across as a striker who relishes a challenge against hulking opposition defenders and well-organised backlines.

Do I think a deal for Shankland is likely? No.

There’s probably more chance of me lining up for Sunderland at some stage this season, at thirty three years old and with an arthritic ankle, but if we’re looking for a different kind of goal threat, I think he ticks a lot of boxes for us- and the last striker we brought down from Scotland didn’t do too badly, did he?

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Tom Albrighton says…

Since Michael has chosen an Irish talent, I’ll continue to pretend to be Welsh and pick a Welsh international.

Sadly, realism means that Brennan Johnson is out of the equation but one man who’s firmly in it is a name we might recall: Kieffer Moore.

He’ll be remembered as a key factor in the ‘sliding doors’ moment that lumbered us with the £4 million dud that was Will Grigg, so not only would this transfer right some wrongs with Moore seemingly available for loan and out of favour at Bournemouth for reasons unknown, it makes sense to offer the experienced striker a temporary deal.

During his recent forays into the Championship, the tall forward has scored fairly regularly, translating those performances into goals in both the Premier League and on the international stage.

Well-travelled though he may be, Moore is tall, mobile and without sounding too cliche, he has great feet for a big man.

Once a thorn in our side and possibly one that got away, Moore would represent good value on a short-term or temporary deal whilst providing some much-coveted experience.

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