Patrick Roberts is currently enduring his eighth loan spell away from Manchester City at Ligue 1 side Troyes.

The 24-year-old's contract is up at The Etihad Stadium in the summer and there are strong rumours linking him to Sunderland.

Roberts has gained a lot of EFL experience in recent years with Middlesbrough and Derby County and would add something different to the Black Cats' attacking contingent.

 

 

 

 

The pressure is on at Sunderland with Lee Johnson desperate to win promotion and avoid a fifth successive season in third tier for the club.

Roberts has not fulfilled the potential he showed as a prolific youth international, however if he can settle down somewhere it is clear the 24-year-old possesses the ability to hurt teams in the final third.

Roberts played a huge role in Derby County surviving on the final day of the last season with a wonderful solo goal and will be hungry to contribute to the Black Cats' cause in the second half of the season.

Here, we have taken a look at two potential knock-on effects that could take place if Roberts puts pen to paper at the Stadium of Light...

Aiden McGeady struggles

Alex Pritchard and Leon Dajaku have really picked up in the last month or so and have become more and more crucial to Sunderland's attacking process.

In combination with the likes of Elliot Embleton and Ross Stewart, Johnson now has his an idea of what his strongest attacking contingent looks like.

Patrick Roberts would add to that and with Aiden McGeady not expected to return for over a month still, the 35-year-old could struggle to regain his place in the team ahead of his contract expiring in the summer.

 

Possible over-reliance on Ross Stewart

Soccer Football - Pre Season Friendly - Sunderland v Hull City - Stadium of Light, Sunderland, Britain - July 30, 2021 Sunderland's Ross Stewart celebrates scoring their first goal Action Images/Lee Smith

The Black Cats do not have a senior direct replacement for Ross Stewart and bringing in Patrick Roberts could only increase that problem.

Lee Johnson does not really have the tools at his disposal to deploy a front pairing which does limit the systems he can play.

A lot of clubs towards the top end of the third tier are playing a flexible 3-5-2 system which would not be possible for Sunderland to match.

Aiden O'Brien could play through the middle but is more of an attacking midfielder, there is an argument that Sunderland should be bolstering the squad with a number nine rather than a player who covers multiple positions but is not specialist in one, like Roberts.