With less than a month to go until the summer transfer window officially slams shut, Sunderland have only made one addition to their first-team squad.
Thomas Meunier, who joined on a free transfer from Lille to offer depth at right-back, is the only player who has been brought in by the Black Cats since the end of last season.
The club’s lack of urgency in the transfer window has come as a surprise because they qualifed for the Europa League and will have more matches to contend with, which means that their squad will be stretched if they do not bolster their ranks.
One area of the pitch that Regis Le Bris could look to add to before the deadline is left-back, with Toulouse full-back Dayann Méthalie emerging as one target.
Why Sunderland need to sign a left-back
Sunderland, who beat RC Lens 2-0 in their latest pre-season friendly, may want to improve the attacking potential of their squad after they only scored 42 times in 38 Premier League matches last term.
They scored the fewest goals in the top 14 of the division in the 2025/26 campaign, and one of the ways in which they could improve their output at the top end of the pitch could be to add creativity in the full-back position.
Reinildo was Sunderland’s first-choice option at left-back when available after his free transfer switch from Atletico Madrid, starting 23 of his 25 appearances in the Premier League.
|
25/26 Premier League |
Reinildo |
|---|---|
|
Appearances |
25 |
|
Starts |
23 |
|
Goals |
0 |
|
Key passes per game |
0.2 |
|
Big chances created |
0 |
|
xA |
0.70 |
|
Assists |
1 |
The Mozambique international was a solid defender, winning 55% of his duels on the ground and in the air, but he offered very little to the team in the way of creativity at the top end of the pitch.
Sunderland, therefore, need to sign an alternative option in that position to add some variety to their play in possession, particularly after Dennis Cirkin left on a free transfer at the start of July.
Sunderland considering move for Reinildo upgrade
Now, the club are already looking at a player who could provide them with exactly what they need in that position at the Stadium of Light this season.
The Daily Record reports that Sunderland are one of a number of teams considering a swoop to sign Sassuolo left-back Josh Doig before the end of the summer transfer window.
Le Bris wants to add more options to his defensive ranks and has identified the Scotland international, who was signed by the Serie A side for £5m in 2024, as a target.
The report claims, though, that Marseille and Olympiacos are also eyeing up potential moves for the left-footed star, which means that the Black Cats may have to move quickly if they want to get a deal over the line.
It remains to be seen how much Sassuolo want for the defender, whom they paid £5m for, but Sunderland should push to get a deal done if he is available for a reasonable fee.
The 24-year-old talent would arrive at the Stadium of Light as an instant upgrade on Reinildo with the creative quality that he can provide from the left-back position.
|
25/26 season |
Doig (Serie A) |
Reinildo (PL) |
|---|---|---|
|
Appearances |
30 |
25 |
|
Key passes per game |
0.5 |
0.2 |
|
Big chances created |
4 |
0 |
|
Accurate crosses per game |
0.4 |
0.2 |
|
Cross accuracy |
34% |
17% |
|
Ground duel success rate |
52% |
55% |
|
Aerial duel success rate |
48% |
55% |
Doig’s performances in the Serie A for Sassuolo last term show that he has more to offer at the top end of the pitch than the Mozambique international, as he created more than twice as many chances per match and produced twice as many accurate crosses per game.
His return of four ‘big chances’ created whilst completing 34% of his attempted crosses also shows that he can be far more effective at creating high-quality chances from crossing situations, which is why he could be such a good signing for the Black Cats.
The Scottish defender is not just an attack-minded full-back, though, as he also won 52% of his ground duels and 56% of his aerial duels in the 2024/25 Serie B campaign, helping Sasuolo to earn promotion to the top-flight.
Doig has shown, both in the Serie B and the Serie B that he can hold his own in duels, just as Reinildo did in the Premier League for Sunderland, but he also has attacking qualities on top of his defensive work.
The work that he does on the ball is why he could be an instant upgrade on Reinildo for Le Bris, because he is a complete modern-day defender who can be solid defensively and dynamic and creative going forward.
Therefore, the Black Cats should be working hard to beat Marseille and Olympiacos to his signature so that they can improve their defence and add another threat to their attacking arsenal.
