Sunderland signed Kevin Danso from Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the summer transfer window.
Sunderland signed Kevin Danso in the summer transfer window from Tottenham Hotspur, and his start at the Stadium of Light has proven why the move has been a monumental coup for the Black Cats hierarchy.
Danso arrived at Sunderland on deadline day, initially on a season-long loan deal with the Black Cats obligated to make it permanent for £22.5m next summer should they remain in the Premier League, which would seem an extremely likely eventuality.
Although it is a small sample size with four appearances so far for the Austrian international, Sunderland appear to have made an understated yet stellar signing with the 28-year-old centre-back.
As Sunderland supporters have witnessed in the early stages of the campaign heading into the ongoing international break, there are a myriad of reasons why Danso has proven to be the Black Cats' most important signing of the summer window so far this season.
Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris in conversation with Kevin Danso (Action Images via Reuters)Why Kevin Danso Has Been Sunderland's Most Important Signing
Resolute Defensive Displays To Start Sunderland Career
Danso made his debut for Sunderland in the 1-1 draw at Brentford, in which the centre-back enjoyed a steeley performance to keep the Bees at bay and provide the foundation for a comeback draw.
Of his four appearances, Danso's most impressive performance in the red-and-white stripes came in the Europa League win over AZ Alkmaar, in which he made the joint-most defensive contributions (11) of any player on the Stadium of Light field and almost scored a long-range screamer if not for a superlative save from goalkeeper Jari De Busser.
Sunderland's gamestyle under Le Bris is built on defensive solidity as their springboard, and Danso has instantly looked at home in the Black Cats' backline.
Sunderland's Kevin Danso shoots at AZ Alkmaar's goal (Action Images via Reuters)Crucial Strength In Depth For Regis Le Bris
Further to that, Danso has added elite-level quality to Sunderland, in an imperative area of Le Bris' squad, especially in light of the injuries in central defence up to this point.
Omar Alderete has struggled for match sharpness so far this season and was withdrawn after 52 minutes against AZ as a result, with his replacement in that win, Dan Ballard, suffering a worrying hamstring injury for Northern Ireland during the break.
As a result, Sunderland's signing of Danso has proven to have been an imperative one for Le Bris' squad, both in terms of quality and strength in depth.
Kevin Danso Is A Sunderland-coded Player
Aside from the tangible aspects, Danso has engraciated himself to the Stadium of Light faithful for his mammoth defensive performances, and his character proves why Spurs fans were sad to see him leave this summer.
The Austrian international exemplifies all of the positive traits of a Sunderland player, with his bravery at the back, selfless attitude and outstanding work-rate seeing the defender become an instant new fan-favourite on Wearside.
Danso's opening showings at the Black Cats make Roberto De Zerbi's decision to deem his surplus to defensive requirements look extremely short-sighted, and Spurs' loss has so far been a sizeable Sunderland gain.
With every impressive performance, Danso gets one game closer to becoming a permanent Sunderland player, of which will be welcomed by Le Bris as well as the Black Cats faithful following his stellar start.
