Sunderland have been linked with signing SC Heerenveen midfielder Thom Haye ahead of the summer transfer window and the Dutchman could prove to be the next Bolo Zenden at the Stadium of Light.
Could Sunderland sign Thom Haye?
It was reported earlier this month by Dutch journalist Sander de Vries that Sunderland are among the clubs interested in signing the 28-year-old this summer after another impressive season in the Eredivisie.
Haye has previously attracted interest from France and has just one year left on his contract at the Abe Lenstra stadium, which suggests that he could be a relatively cheap option for Sunderland in the off-season, with Transfermarkt valuing him at just €2m (£1.7m).
Would Haye be a good signing?
Haye’s performances in the Netherlands’ top flight this season certainly suggest that he could be an excellent addition to Tony Mowbray’s squad ahead of the 2023/24 campaign when the Black Cats will be looking to push on again after falling short in the playoffs recently.
In 30 appearances for Kees van Wonderen’s side, the versatile midfielder has contributed two goals and three assists with a strong 7.05 rating from WhoScored for his performances.
For context, only Ross Stewart, Jack Clarke and Amad Diallo earned better average ratings at the Stadium of Light this season, which emphasises the quality that he could add in the middle of the park.
The Heerenveen man’s return of 1.2 shots, 1.5 key passes and 2.7 tackles per game suggests that he is a box-to-box all-rounder, with his tackle record unmatched in Sunderland’s squad, while only Clarke managed more key passes per match.
Dubbed “impressive” by Dutch journalist Reon Boeringa, the £2.6k-per-week star may well remind Sunderland fans of cult hero Zenden, who featured at the Stadium of Light for two years at the end of a glittering career which included spells with Liverpool, Barcelona and Marseille.
Could Haye be Sunderland’s next Zenden?
While Zenden featured as a left-winger for much of his career, he predominantly featured as a central midfielder under Steve Bruce between 2009-11.
He would go on to make 50 appearances for Sunderland, contributing four goals and five assists and helping the Black Cats to impressive 13th and tenth-placed finishes in the Premier League, in what could certainly be regarded as one of the best periods in the club’s recent history.
WhoScored suggests that Haye excels at a number of things including passing, dribbling, tackling, playing key passes and taking set-pieces. Like Zenden, therefore, he clearly has a lot of quality on the ball.
As such, their nationality, similar positions and ability in possession suggest that Haye could well emulate the former Sunderland star should he make the move to the north east this summer.
