Sunderland could potentially allow struggling forwards Danny Graham and Will Grigg to both leave the club before the end of the window with Lee Johnson looking to free up room for potential additions, per The Sun on Sunday (24/01/2021).
Johnson has been working hard to try and turn performances and results around on the field since he took over from Phil Parkinson at the start of December, and the Black Cats have secured three wins in their last four matches in all competitions to show signs of progress. However, Sunderland still need to add to their squad, with a left-back and forward reportedly the positions they want to strengthen.
It has now emerged that to make room on the wage bill and in the squad for potential arrivals, the Black Cats could be willing to allow Graham to leave the club this month or could wait until the summer. The 35-year-old was signed by Parkinson in the summer, but he has failed to make much of an impact in his second spell at the Stadium failing to score in 14 league matches (Sofascore).
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The Black Cats could also look to offload Grigg from their squad to free up room on the wage bill. The 29-year-old has not been able to live up to anywhere near his £4 million price tag since arriving in the winter window of 2019. He has struggled once again this term managing just nine goalless appearances in the league (Sofascore). Salford City is a potential loan destination for him, per The Sun on Sunday (24/01/2021).
The Verdict
It would be little surprise to see Sunderland part company with either Graham or Grigg before the window closes. It has been clear for some time now that neither forward was going to be able to have much of a positive impact on their promotion push this campaign and they are both completely lacking in confidence.
Grigg is the obvious player who the club could do with shifting from the wage bill, with the 29-year-old having already cost them £4 million in transfer fees alone.
The striker has struggled to handle the pressure of that price-tag and although at times he has not been helped by lack of service there have been times where he has missed chances. He scored just once last term but missed five big chances (Sofascore).
As for Graham, it was a gamble to bring him back to the club, where he hardly set the world alight in his first spell. The 35-year-old had been a strong performer for Blackburn Rovers scoring 14 goals in League One in the 2017/18 season (Sofascore). However, at his age it was always going to be difficult to expect him to repeat that form. An exit seems the best option.