Transfers are never guaranteed to work out in football and failed deals have stung Sunderland more than most in recent years.
The Black Cats suffered back-to-back relegations from the Premier League and the Championship to end up in League One in 2017, as they were unable to bring in the players they needed to avoid the drop on both occasions.
However, they have also made some excellent decisions in the transfer market over the years and deserve credit where it’s due.
Blinder on Wickham
One player the club managed to pull a blinder with was centre-forward Connor Wickham, as Dick Advocaat sold him to Crystal Palace for £9m (Transfermarkt) in 2015.
The Black Cats brought him in from Ipswich for £8.1m in 2011 and he scored 15 goals and provided four assists in 91 outings for the side. This included ten Premier League goals in his last two top-flight campaigns, scoring five in 15 and five in 36 before leaving for Selhurst Park.
Sunderland got almost 100 games of service and a number of Premier League goals out of him before making a, albeit small, profit on him. Whilst this is evidence enough to suggest that it was a good deal by the club, what has happened to Wickham since leaving has proven that they played a blinder with his sale.
His career has flopped as he only played 50 times in six seasons for Palace. After playing 21 Premier League matches in his first campaign for the club, he never made more than eight in another season for the Eagles as he scored three league goals in his final three years in London.
He ended his disastrous spell by leaving on a free transfer in the summer of 2021. Championship Preston then picked him up for nothing later that year before landing at his current destination – MK Dons.
The 6 foot 3 forward, who journalist Dom Howson previously dubbed a “unit”, has beaten the goalkeeper only once in nine League One outings for the Buckinghamshire side after joining on a free transfer from Preston, as he has failed to get himself back on track.
The Athletic previously ran a story explaining when players typically peak in each position and for centre-forwards it is said to be around the age of 27, heading into their 30’s. Thus, with Wickham now 29, it’s obvious things haven’t turned out well for him.
Instead of finding his best form, Wickham’s stock is now at the lowest point of his entire career. At the time of writing (28/03/22), Transfermarkt value him at a measly £720k, which is significantly lower than the £9m Sunderland received from Palace for his signature. It is also lower than the £900k he was valued at whilst playing for Ipswich at the age of 16, illustrating just how far he has fallen from grace.
Therefore, Sunderland played a blinder with him as they made a profit on the fee they paid to the Tractor boys and got him out of the door before his career went tumbling downhill.
He failed to fulfil his potential and the Black Cats did not feel the effects of his failure as they cashed in on him at the perfect time.
AND in other news, Forget Defoe: Sunderland must now swoop for teen prodigy with 21 goals in 13 games…