“Incredible” ace with 78 Championship goals turned down Sunderland move

Sunderland missed out on signing an “incredible” attacking talent in the January transfer window, with the player in question reportedly turning down a move to the Stadium of Light.

Sunderland preparing for huge Leeds clash

The Black Cats face arguably their biggest test of the season on Monday night, making the trip to Leeds United for a much-anticipated Championship clash.

Regis Le Bris‘ side take on the league’s second-place team at Elland Road, in what represents a massive game for both outfits. Sunderland are fourth in the league after the weekend action, and they know that victory would take them level on points with Burnley and just four behind a top-two spot.

Regardless of the result on Monday, the Black Cats know that they are in a wonderful position to at least finish in the playoff places this season, but failure to win would be a big blow to their automatic promotion hopes.

This will be a huge gauge of where Sunderland are at under Le Bris, in terms of genuinely being automatic contenders or a step down from that level, and it promises to be a fascinating evening against Leeds.

It turns out that they could have had a top-quality player in their ranks for this match, had things panned out a little differently.

Sunderland missed out on “incredible” striker

According to Sunderland AFC News, Adam Armstrong “rejected a deadline day move” to Sunderland, instead deciding to join West Brom on loan from Southampton. That’s due to his “Newcastle allegiances”, having been at the Black Cats’ biggest rivals in the past.

The 28-year-old scored on his debut for the Baggies, coming in a 2-1 win at home to Sheffield Wednesday, and could prove to be an influential signing for them between now and the end of the season.

Armstrong would have been a perfect addition for Sunderland until May, proving to be a guaranteed source of goals and assists at this level. The striker has scored 78 times

in the Championship, as well as registering 33 assists in the competition, and former Southampton manager Russell Martin waxed lyrical about him earlier in the season.

“He has been incredible. As a person first, and with the goals as well. He is brave and aggressive. He is just like a warrior. Every team meeting we show a clip of him recovering. He is a striker and tackles and wins the ball. He is demanding of himself and his team-mates, which I think is really important. That’s one of the reasons why he has been wearing the armband.”

Armstrong’s pace and finishing would have been such a potent weapon for Sunderland, so it is hard not to rue him not joining, but the Newcastle element of things was always going to make it difficult.

Hopefully, the Black Cats will still be able to secure promotion back to the Premier League without the Englishman, but he could have been a difference-maker for Le Bris in tight games.