Sunderland have eye on Man City star agreement: VIew

•  Sunderland’s recent recruitment tactics have transformed the club’s future by focusing on bringing in and developing young players.
•  The success of their strategy is evident with promotions and strong performances in the Championship playoffs.
•  Sunderland should consider targeting Alex Robertson from Manchester City’s academy, as he has been performing exceptionally well on loan at Portsmouth and could be a valuable addition to the midfield.

Sunderland’s recent recruitment tactics have revolutionised their future.

After being stuck in the perils of third tier football for many a year, Kyril Louis-Dreyfus and the club’s new ownership model brought a breath of fresh air to the club. Not only that, they also brought with them a new way of looking at things.

Sunderland’s choice of players to bring in was, to be kind, questionable in the years leading up to the financial takeover.

Instances like giving Jack Rodwell £70,000 per week in the Championship and paying a League One record fee of £4 million for Will Grigg showed just how poor of a state the club was in before the start of 2022.

Bringing in and developing young players has become the club ethos, and it’s been mightily successful.

A promotion to the Championship, reaching the playoffs in their first season back in the division, and looking like they’re going to at least replicate that in this one point towards their plan of action being an effective one.

With that in mind, there is a player from the league below that they should be keeping a close eye on.

Sunderland should be looking to bring in Alex Robertson

For those of you who aren’t aware of Robertson, this may sound like an irrelevant comment.

One of the most underrated parts of Manchester City is just how good their academy has become.

It used to be the red side of Manchester that was pumping out some of the best teenage talent in world football, but the role has reversed.

Robertson is one of the many impressive players to have come from that youth setup. He’s currently on loan at the current League One leaders, Portsmouth, and he has been superb.

The 20-year-old Aussie central midfielder is currently averaging a 7.15 Sofascore match rating for the season.

Robertson isn’t the type of player to rack up stats, but his influence on the game is what helps his teams be so dominant on the ball.

City have shown a willingness to profit from their young talent, and Sunderland should capitalise on it.

Robertson and Pierre Ekwah: Sunderland’s midfield of the future

In the relatively short time that Louis-Dreyfus has been running the football club, the Black Cats have amalgamated a serious crop of midfield maestros.

Boyhood Sunderland fan Dan Neil is the shining light in the middle of the park. Starlet Jobe Bellingham also looks to be one of the stars of the future, being one of the club’s best players at just 18-years-old.

These two are already in high demand, with Jobe attracting the attention of some of the world’s biggest teams, including Tottenham Hotspur and his brother’s new team Real Madrid.

So the potential of two of the club’s best midfielders to leave within the next couple of years is certainly there. What better way to prepare than to permanently bring in one of the most promising loanees in the EFL?

Robertson (20) and Ekwah (21) could be the foundation that is with the club through its journey back to the Premier League.

They’d offer technical ability, as well as some goal threat and a bit of traditional midfield robustness.