Leo Hjelde, the defender, has struggled since joining Sunderland in January after leaving Leeds United.
The past several months have been disastrous for Sunderland in the Championship.
It is safe to say that the Black Cats’ controversial decision to fire Tony Mowbray in December—despite their position just outside of the play-off spots—and replace him with Michael Beale did not turn out as planned.
Beale was fired this month after leading Sunderland to just four victories in his twelve games in charge, since he was a controversial choice among the team’s supporters.
Following Mowbray’s departure, Mike Dodds had a successful caretaker stint. The 37-year-old has been named as the Black Cats’ interim head coach through the end of the season, but he hasn’t had the same effect thus far, as the team has only gained one point from his five games in charge.
Sunderland is back in action on Good Friday as they travel to Cardiff City in South Wales. At the moment, they are sitting 12th in the Championship table, 13 points out of the play-off spots, and 9 points clear of the relegation zone.
| Championship Table (As it stands March 25th) | ||||
| Team | P | GD | Pts | |
| 9 | Preston North End | 37 | -5 | 56 |
| 10 | Middlesbrough | 38 | 1 | 54 |
| 11 | Cardiff City | 38 | -8 | 53 |
| 12 | Sunderland | 38 | 3 | 48 |
| 13 | Watford | 38 | 2 | 48 |
| 14 | Bristol City | 38 | -3 | 47 |
| 15 | Swansea City | 38 | -10 | 46 |
| 16 | Millwall | 38 | -14 | 43 |
While Styles, Mundle, and Hjelde have all struggled in their early Wearside careers, the largest doubts surround Hjelde’s acquisition given the substantial transfer fee the team paid.
Sunderland may be regretting Leo Hjelde transfer deal
After joining Leeds from Celtic in August 2021 for a transfer fee above £1 million, Hjelde had a challenging time there, playing in just eight senior games over the course of three and a half years.
Hjelde began the season for Leeds against Cardiff after spending the second half of the previous campaign on loan at Rotherham United. However, he was replaced at halftime, and that would turn out to be his only league appearance for Daniel Farke’s team, with only two more coming in the EFL Cup.
Hjedle’s lack of playing time at Elland Road meant that when Sunderland spent an alleged £2 million to acquire the 20-year-old in January, there were questions.
Hjelde has started every game for the Black Cats since joining the team, playing left and centre defence, but he hasn’t been able to win over fans just yet.
In the nine games that Hjelde has played in, Sunderland has lost six, drawn two, and won only one. In addition, they have given up 13 goals.
Of course, it would be wrong to hold Hjelde solely responsible for the Black Cats’ issues, and his arrival onto the team has been difficult given the club’s downward spiral.
However, some fans have questioned whether Hjelde should continue to play, and it’s unclear if the defender will start for Sunderland once their roster is fully healthy.
Luke O’Nien is back from suspension for Friday’s trip to Cardiff, which may force Hjelde to the bench. When they return from injury, Niall Huggins, Dennis Cirkin, and Aji Alese will provide more competition for spots.
Since the Black Cats have made it a point to sign up young players, they probably won’t rush Hjelde, especially now that he’s signed a four-and-a-half year contract.
Despite the ups and downs he has faced at the Stadium of Light thus far, Hjelde stated last month that he has had a “very enjoyable” time at the club and that he and his teammates still have more to give.
Leeds now appear to have won the deal after paying a high price for Hjelde’s services, so Sunderland will be hoping he can get back on track quickly.
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