Kristjaan Speakman explains the transfer hurdle Sunderland faced in January and why he signed Jayden Danns

Sunderland signed Jayden Danns on deadline day despite discovering a back injury during the medical process

Kristjaan Speakman believes Sunderland made the correct option to proceed with a loan deal for Jayden Danns despite the striker’s examination revealing a back ailment that will require rest. Sunderland do not know when Danns will be able to return to play, therefore the 19-year-old has been repatriated to Liverpool for the time being to recover. Sunderland’s sporting director revealed that the teenager only became available at the conclusion of the transfer window, thus options were limited when the club discovered Danns’ injury.

Both Liverpool and the Black Cats are convinced that he will be able to contribute in the coming weeks, providing crucial depth to head coach Régis Le Bris. Speakman went on to say that finding a new striker during the January transfer window had been tough because Wilson Isidor and Eliezer Mayenda were both in excellent form.

“Jayden was a player we really wanted to sign and it was just really unfortunate, at the very end we uncovered something,” Le Bris told reporters. “He was totally training and playing, but now he’ll rest for a while. When it arrives at such a late hour, it is really difficult for us to locate an alternative. We had a great conversation with Liverpool about the next steps, and perhaps he will be able to join us at some point. For us, it wasn’t just about increasing the size of the group; it was also about quality and personality. Jayden met both of those criteria. “To fit into our style of play, players must have the necessary physical, technical, and tactical abilities. Most athletes that are available in January want to spend their time playing. We have a nine that is performing quite well, and another nine in Eliezer, who has played in a variety of positions and has an unbelievable goal contribution record this season. Finding someone who feels at ease in that environment is difficult, because I understand [their point of view] when they realize they will not be the first option from the start. And I don’t believe there is any dispute that Wilson deserves to be the top choice.

Speakman stated that finding a player who can contribute and fit in can be challenging due to the presence of two excellent center forwards. While Jayden is expected to be unavailable at first, this is a common occurrence during the transfer window. Tests can help identify these issues.