Sunderland completed their sixth signing of the summer transfer window earlier this week when they confirmed the arrival of Simon Adingra from Premier League rivals Brighton & Hove Albion.
The Black Cats have signed Adingra, Chemsdine Talbi, Noah Sadiki, Habib Diallo, Enzo Le Fee, and Reinildo to bolster Regis Le Bris’ options across the park.
Sunderland have only added Reinildo to their defensive ranks, though, and could look to improve their back four in the coming weeks before the end of the window.
It had been reported in June that the club were considering a permanent deal for Chris Mepham, who spent the 2023/24 campaign on loan from Bournemouth, but there has not been an update on the situation since then.
Sunderland plotting deal for Ligue 1 star
The Black Cats appear to be looking at alternative options to the Wales international in that area of the pitch, though, as they are reportedly keen on another right-sided centre-back.
According to Football Insider, Sunderland are interested in signing Toulouse central defender Charlie Cresswell to bolster their team this summer.
The report claims that the Premier League new boys are ‘plotting’ a deal to bring the England U21 international to the Stadium of Light in the coming weeks.
Speaking to Football Insider, scout Mick Brown added: “Sunderland have been looking at Charlie Cresswell. They had scouts at the Under-21 Euros and from what I hear they were impressed by what they saw.”
The Sun have previously claimed that it will take a fee of £18m to tempt Toulouse into cashing in on the former Leeds man, who would be an upgrade on Mepham for Sunderland.
Why Sunderland should sign Charlie Cresswell
Le Bris should push the club to strike a deal for the 22-year-old colossus, who won the U21 Euros with England this summer, because he would add defensive quality to the squad.
Cresswell caught the eye with his impressive performances at the Euros, winning 67% of his duels across six appearances, but he also showcased his ability in Ligue 1 for Toulouse.
The English star showed that he can deliver brilliant defensive displays on a regular basis in a major European league, which is something Mepham, who played 38 times in the Championship last term, has failed to do.
|
Stats |
Cresswell (24/25 Ligue 1) |
Mepham (23/24 Premier League) |
|---|---|---|
|
Appearances |
31 |
10 |
|
Goals |
3 |
0 |
|
Tackles + interceptions per game |
2.0 |
1.9 |
|
Clearances per game |
6.1 |
2.9 |
|
Duels won per game |
4.9 |
4.3 |
|
Ground duel success rate |
51% |
37% |
|
Aerial duel success rate |
66% |
60% |
As you can see in the table above, Cresswell’s showings in Ligue 1 were significantly more impressive than Mepham’s were when he last played in the Premier League with Bournemouth.
These statistics suggest that the former Leeds man would come in as an immediate upgrade on what the Welshman could have offered in the top-flight, as he is more dominant defensively and offers a greater threat from set plays.
The Toulouse star, who was once hailed as “incredible” during his loan spell at Millwall by talent scout Jacek Kulig, is also five years younger than Mepham, which means that he also has more long-term potential as a young player with time left ahead of him to develop and improve.
Therefore, Cresswell could be a significantly better signing for Sunderland than Mepham due to both his quality in the here and now, as well as his potential to get better in the future.
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