FABRIZIO ROMANO – Reveals: Southampton in race for 19-year-old prospect

With deadline day quickly approaching, it seems increasingly unlikely that Sunderland will be able to address all the gaps in their squad.

One area they weren’t initially expected to strengthen was goalkeeper, but recent reports from Ukraine indicate that Sunderland is pursuing a deal for Krapyvtsov. They are competing with Chelsea and Southampton, who are also interested in the young goalkeeper.

Background

The 19-year-old goalkeeper is currently a free agent after leaving SC Dnipro last month. Although he played in their youth teams, he never consistently made it into their first team. However, he has caught attention in his home country and has made seven appearances for Ukraine’s U19 team.

He is attracting interest from top English clubs as he seeks a new opportunity, but initially, he would likely join the academy teams.

Sunderland has already signed Moore as a backup to Anthony Patterson and Blondy Nna Noukeu for the youth teams and potential first-team involvement, so another goalkeeper isn’t an immediate priority. Nevertheless, he must be highly regarded by the club.

Looking Forward

Sunderland will almost certainly sign another player to strengthen their first team before next Friday. The key question is who and how many players will be brought in.

Le Bris’ side has won their first two Championship matches, matching the number of wins Sunderland had in their final 15 games last season.

They haven’t conceded a goal yet and appear to be a much stronger team compared to last season.

It’s still too early to tell if they can sustain this performance over 46 games, especially given their thin depth in certain areas and the presence of some injury-prone players.

However, they are shaping up to be an exciting team to watch this season. Their game plan and identity have been evident in the first two games, and their decisive win over Sheffield Wednesday last Sunday made a strong impression on the league.

Next up is a home match against league leaders Burnley this weekend. Meanwhile, Sunderland is moving closer to a crucial deal as they consider a replacement for a 30-year-old player.