An update has emerged on Sunderland and their pursuit of Josh Murphy heading into the summer transfer window…
What’s the talk?
Mirror reporter Darren Witcoop has claimed that the Black Cats are eyeing up a swoop for the former Cardiff attacker.
He Tweeted: “Sunderland have registered their interest in signing winger Josh Murphy, who is available on a free. Alex Neil worked with Murphy at Norwich and is a big fan. Interest in Wolves defender Dion Sanderson and keeper John Ruddy as reported elsewhere remains.”
Alex Neil will be buzzing
The Scottish head coach will be buzzing with this news as he would love to work with Murphy again after their time together at Carrow Road.
He has only managed two goals and five assists in his last two Championship campaigns combined but has previously shown potential at both Cardiff and Norwich.
Would Murphy be a good signing?
Under Neil in the 2016/17 season, Murphy produced an impressive four goals and five assists in just nine starts in the second tier for the Canaries, with Alex Pritchard scoring six and assisting seven in the same team. He then managed seven goals and three assists under Daniel Farke in Norfolk in the following campaign, playing alongside the likes of Wes Hoolahan and James Maddison.
This earned him a move to Wales and he played a season in the Premier League with the Bluebirds – scoring three times and providing two assists. Whilst this is not an eye-catching return in the top-flight, this shows that he has the quality to make an impact at the top level.
These statistics show that there is potential there for Murphy to be a good addition to the team in the Championship next season. Although he has lost his way in the last couple of years, he has shown in the past that he has the ability to deliver in the final third at this level and has a history of working with Neil, which means he will already know exactly what is expected of him.
On a free transfer, it would be a low-risk signing for Sunderland to make and frees up funds to be used in other areas of the squad. This is another reason why this could be a shrewd deal for the club and why Neil will be buzzing with the pursuit of the 27-year-old.
