Tony Mowbray has assembled a team capable of challenging for the playoffs, however, there is one missing piece in Sunderland's promotion puzzle and that is a prolific goal scorer.
Since second-tier sensation Ross Stewart – who bagged 40 goals in 80 games for the club – joined Southampton in the summer, the Black Cats haven't filled the void of his prolificacy in front of goal.
Prior to him leaving on deadline day, the North East giants prepared for the eventuality of his departure by dipping into the market for several strikers, including Mason Burstow, Nazariy Rusyn and Luis Semedo.
Although that trio were promising in profile, neither have emerged as the prolific heir to the Scotsman having failed to score a single goal between them so far.
Whilst Mowbray has been made to pay for his transfer blunders in the forward line, their fortunes at the other end of the pitch are a glowing indication of their astute recruitment defensively.
Dan Ballard's statistics this season
Sunderland captured highly-rated centre-back Daniel Ballard from Arsenal last year and following an injury-hit spell last term, the 24-year-old has since become a pivotal figure in the heart of Mowbray's defence.
The 6 foot 2 goliath has played a starring role in each of their 15 Championship matches this season and has earned praise from his manager, who labelled him as a "diamond" after their victory over Blackburn Rovers.
Ballard's towering presence is not just illuminated by his side having the joint-third best defence in the division, but purely for the fact that his defensive metrics demonstrate his importance to Sunderland.
The below table compares the Northern Irishman's statistics for the past year against his positional peers across the Men's Next 14 competitions (or leagues comparable to the Championship), as per FBref.
Non-penalty xG
Top 2%
Blocks
Top 16%
Aerials won
Top 16%
Touches (Att pen)
Top 14%
Clearances
Top 24%
Pass completion
Top 24%
As delineated by the table above, Ballard's percentile rank for those various metrics showcases his ability to win possession back for his team, throwing himself into challenges while dominating his opponents aerially, posing a threat in both boxes.
If recent reports are true, the Black Cats are looking to add an equally imposing figure to partner Ballard at the back.
Sunderland transfer news – Nathaniel Adjei
According to Swedish outlet Fotboll Direkt, Sunderland and several other Championship clubs are reportedly interested in capturing highly-rated centre-back Nathaniel Adjei.
The 21-year-old, who is currently plying his trade for Swedish top-division side Hammarby IF, would slot seamlessly into Mowbray's back line.
At a potential cost of €4m (£3.5m), as the report states, the Ghanaian talent would bolster Sunderland's promotion push and offer a replacement for makeshift centre-back Luke O'Nien.
Nathaniel Adjei's style of play
In the Allsvenskan, Adjei has risen to prominence as a defensively dominant and promising talent in Sweden.
The youngster has made just 30 appearances for his current side since making his debut in 2022, but his performances for Ghana's U23 side certainly caught the eye, securing two caps for his country at youth level and will now be looking to break onto the senior stage.
Dubbed a "physical monster" by Rangers journal, Adjei boasts the explosive pace and the physical stature to bully his opponents, averaging 2.8 clearances per game, 4.3 balls recovered and duel success rate of 64% in the 2023 Allsvenskan, as per Sofascore.
What's more impressive about the starlet, who was lauded as "one to watch" by Sky Sports journalist David Reed, is that he's adept at bringing the ball out from defence and has demonstrated his exceptional passing ability.
He currently ranks fifth for accurate passes per game (40.7) across the Hammarby squad while ranking third for accurate long balls per game (3.6), indicating that his ability to progress play from defence would fit perfectly into Mowbray's possession-based system.
With a whole host of clubs vying for his signature, it could be a difficult deal for Sunderland to get done, however, there is no doubt he would form a partnership alongside Ballard that is capable of inspiring the Black Cats to promotion.
