Black Cats defender Trai Hume has attracted plenty of attention in the summer transfer window
Sunderland defender Trai Hume is reportedly being pursued by two Premier League teams. Several Wearside players, including the 22-year-old right-back, are being pursued by teams in the Championship and Premier League.
Aston Villa and Bournemouth are reportedly interested in the right-back due to his strong play in the previous campaign. The twelve-time Northern Ireland international cost £150,000 to sign with Sunderland from Linfield in 2022. Leeds United, a Championship opponent, has already been linked to the player.
The defender has since made 74 appearances in the Championship, as well play two games in the play-offs for the Black Cats.
Hume has gone on record to say he is happy at Sunderland and would like to stay but also that his agent deals with any transfer speculation. Last season Hume led the second tier in terms of successful tackles, serving as a near ever-present for Sunderland as he started all but one game.
However, he also has weaknesses in his game, and when the Championship campaign came to an end in the final three months, he was partly to blame for the subpar goals the team conceded.
Hume, who signed a new contract in June, is under contract until 2027. Given his versatility, some may consider him a risk worth taking at right back or centre half. Although Hume is one of the Sunderland team’s most trustworthy players, this quality also draws attention from other people.
Mainly operating as a right-back, he didn’t miss a single Championship game last season, chipping in with a goal and an assist in his 46 outings. Hume has proven himself as an asset at Championship level and has stepped up with Northern Ireland too. For that reason, the time may have come for him to get a shot in the Premier League.
The Black Cats won’t let him go on the cheap though and, with the lengthy contract in place, there is no pressure for the club to cash in. Jack Clarke, Anthony Patterson, Dan Neil, Dan Ballard and Chris Rigg are all players likely to draw attention from other clubs this summer.
Regarding Patterson, Sunderland is rumoured to be in negotiations to hire an understudy, and one target is the 34-year-old Simon Moore of Coventry City, who plays goalkeeping.
Although it’s unclear if Moore would choose to join a Championship team second in line, if Patterson were to depart, Moore’s replacement would be highly regarded by the team’s supporters.
The search for a new head coach remains Sunderland’s top priority, as players are curious about their future and excited to learn who will succeed them as manager.
More than a week ago, owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus informed fans that an appointment is a “immiment.” Four months after Michael Beale’s firing, that doesn’t seem to have been the case, and fans are still waiting to learn who will take over.
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