Sunderland January Transfer Window Priorities Clear After Premier League Start

Sunderland sit second off the bottom in the Premier League table after the opening ten games of the campaign, after a substandard performance from Regis Le Bris' side, but went into the two-week-long international break positively after the win over Chelsea.

With several Sunderland players already performing well on international duty, the break will offer Le Bris and the Stadium of Light hierarchy an opportunity to reflect on the start to the season and hopefully make some plans for the upcoming mid-season transfer window.

Sunderland spent heavily in the summer transfer window, bringing the likes of Malick Fofana, Dayann Methalie, Thomas Meunier, Kevin Danso, Jules Ahoka, and Juan Riquelme Angulo to the Stadium of Light, but more recruits are needed in January to help the Black Cats enjoy a better second half of the season.

Sunderland's poor start to the season has illuminated much about Le Bris' side, but has also highlighted the January recruitment needs to fill the voids left by Director of Football Florent Ghisolfi in the summer.

Sunderland have struggled in central defence throughout the campaign, and this has largely been down to Le Bris' selection of Spurs loanee Danso and Omar Alderete, who have been poor individually and together as a partnership.

With injured Dan Ballard set to return from the sidelines in the middle of December, the necessity to spend big on a centre-back is mitigated, but recruiting a young prospect with lofty potential would offer further strength in depth and cover for the aforementioned out-of-form duo.

After failing to sign a marquee attacker for the right flank in the pre-season window, as the majority of Sunderland supporters believed was necessary, Le Bris' side have since struggled for creativity and output in this area so far this season.

Ahead of the mid-season window, Sunderland were once again linked with Sporting CP winger Geny Catamo, after the Black Cats tried and failed to land him in the summer for a significant fee, and the Mozambique international would certainly bolster Le Bris' attacking prospects with his pace and dynamism in the final third.

So far this season, 25-year-old Catamo has netted three goals and notched four assists in 16 outings for Sporting with one goal in the Champions League, and Sunderland must target the pacey winger to bring this much-needed output to the right wing.

Also in attack, Sunderland need to spend a significant portion of their January transfer window budget on another goalscoring option, after selling Eliezer Mayenda to Rennes in the summer but then failing to replace him in the squad.

18-year-old deadline day signing is clearly a one for the future, and Timur Tutierov has established himself as the third option at striker, but clearly the Black Cats need better strength in depth up-front for cover and competition with Brian Brobbey and Wilson Isidor.

Earlier this season, Sunderland were credited with interest in striker Kevin Viveros amid his outstanding 21-goal season for Brazilian top flight outfit Athletico Paranaense, and the in-form Colombian frontman would be a welcome bonus to the Black Cats' potency and options up-front.