Sunderland are seemingly still in contract talks with Charlie Wyke but as reports linking him with a move away gather pace, should Lee Johnson start looking for a new talisman?
Sunderland wouldn’t have qualified for the League One play-offs if it weren’t for Wyke’s 26 goals in the league. But at the same time, the 28-year-old was often a debated name and now with his contract coming into the final couple of weeks, his future looks increasingly unclear.
The likes of Ipswich Town and Celtic have been recently linked and it suggests that Wyke is considering other options, with the Black Cats having previously been reported to still be in contract talks with the Englishman.
Johnson then might have to start considering a striker signing in the summer and Cambridge United’s Paul Mullin might just be the answer.
He finished as the top-scorer in League Two with 32 goals across the season just gone – 13 more than anyone else in the division. He guided his side to promotion into League One but his future also remains up in the air.
Mullin is out of contract at the end of the month and Football Insider have this morning reported that both Middlesbrough and Preston North End are ‘leading the chase’ to sign the 26-year-old.
Stepping up from League Two to the Championship would obviously be attractive but a risk at the same time – game time wouldn’t necessarily be guaranteed and one poor season in the Championship could really falter his progression.
Sunderland could be a much better fit and a much better stepping stone for Mullin but the club would have to put their money where their mouth is quickly as to fend off that Championship interest.
He wouldn’t only bring the same kind of goals record to the Stadium of Light as Wyke, but he’s also a much more dynamic player than Wyke is too – Mullin is able to lead the front-line on his own and his pace makes him a much more versatile outlet than perhaps Wyke is.
It’d compliment the kind of football that Sunderland want to play and wouldn’t break the bank either. A potentially shrewd signing but should Sunderland drum up an interest then they’d need to do so fast.
