Sunderland have benefitted hugely from the loan market in recent seasons and they could repeat a masterclass by bringing Aston Villa striker Cameron Archer to the Stadium of Light in January.
It has been reported that the Black Cats are among a number of Championship sides keen on signing the 21-year-old forward next month as they look to bolster their attacking options ahead of the rest of the season.
With the playoffs still in sight for Tony Mowbray’s side, the former Blackburn Rovers boss will be keen to ensure that his side is strengthened rather than weakened in the winter transfer window.
As Ross Stewart is potentially on his way out of the Stadium of Light, the Black Cats could turn to the loan market once again for a replacement, and Archer’s goalscoring form with Preston North End and England U21s last season suggests that he could be the ideal man.
The youngster, having already scored four times in the League Cup for Villa last season, would join Ryan Lowe’s side on loan in January and went on to score on seven occasions for the Lilywhites in the Championship, before hitting four in four for Lee Carsley’s England side in the summer.
Lowe was certainly a big fan of Archer during his spell at Deepdale and would wax lyrical about the striker’s ability and potential last season.
He said: “Cameron has got an abundance of talent.
“It is getting him in the right places, I don’t want him coming short all the time, I want him to be on the shoulder, sniffing around, being proactive, not reactive.
“His quality levels are fantastic, he’s bullish, strong, he can roll, he has got that little burst of pace too.”
Should he arrive in January, he will be looking to follow in the footsteps of fellow loan star Simms, who has been hugely impressive since joining on a temporary basis from another Premier League side in Everton during the summer.
The 21-year-old has five goals and two assists in just 14 Championship appearances this season and is ranked as the fourth-best performer in Mowbray’s squad according to WhoScored, which emphasises just how important he has become at the Stadium of Light.
Signing a player such as Archer, who has obvious ability and a huge amount of potential, on a low-risk loan deal, would represent fantastic business for Sunderland and there seems no reason why he can’t have a similar impact to fellow loanee Simms.
