How Sunderland's Start To Season Should Impact January Transfer Window

Sunderland have made a solid start to the season in the Premier League, Europa League and Carabao Cup, but there are clear areas of Regis Le Bris' that need adding in during the upcoming mid-season window to set the Black Cats on course for success.

Sunderland signed six new players within the summer transfer window, and each one of those recruits have been a clever investment from the Stadium of Light hierarchy in their own right.

Some, namely the likes of Tottenham Hotspur loanee Kevin Danso and £30.8m arrival from Lyon Malick Fofana, have made more of an immediate impact, with others including Dayann Methalie and Jules Ahoka showing real promise for the future.

However, there are clear areas that the Black Cats still need to strengthen within the mid-season window, with this period of business potentially pivotal to how Le Bris' side will prosper in the decisive half of the season.

On the surface, the Black Cats are well-stocked in central defence, with Danso enjoying a stellar start at Sunderland and versatile defender Nordi Mukiele also in typically standout form in the opening stages.

However, the international break saw Dan Ballard suffer a worrying hamstring injury for Northern Ireland and could be sidelined for several weeks, in yet another frustrating setback for the bruising defender.

With Omar Alderete also struggling for full fitness at the start of the season, and Luke O'Nien struggling for the Under-21s against Sheffield Wednesday this week, there is scope for a young prospect to join the central defensive ranks in Le Bris' squad in January.

Sunderland were linked with multiple marquee right-wingers over the course of the summer transfer window, namely with the Black Cats' failed pursuit of Sporting CP attacker Geny Catamo.

Trademark left-winger Fofana did arrive on deadline day in a club-record deal, but as a result, the Black Cats have no specialist right-winger within their squad despite having the Belgian international, Nilson Angulo and Chemsdine Talbi on the left flank.

Considering that Catamo has scored twice and created three assists in Sporting's first eight games of the season, Sunderland could be priced out of a mid-season move for the Mozambique international, but there is a glaring void of attacking potency on the right flank that must be remedied for Le Bris in the January window.

Sunderland did add a new striker to Le Bris' ranks in the summer, in the form of 18-year-old Juan Riquelme Angulo, the £5m signing from Ecuadorian top flight side Independiente del Valle, who arrived in the last moments of deadline day.

Angulo, who had been tracked by Manchester United and Barcelona before arriving at the Stadium of Light, has shown promise in the international break by getting off the mark with his first senior goal for Ecuador, is certainly an exciting signing but it remains to be seen whether he is ready for Premier League and Europa League football yet.

With that in mind, and the injury fears over Brian Brobbey following his hamstring concern picked up for the Netherlands during the break, Sunderland need to consider adding another goalscorer in the January transfer window.

Recently, Sunderland and Aston Villa's interest in 18-goal striker Kevin Viveros emerged amid his stunning form for Brazilian top flight side Athletico Paranaense, and the Colombian international would be an ideal recruit to lighten the Black Cats' goalscoring burden.