Sunderland tried hard to sign a new front man in January, but they ultimately fell short.
The jury is still out on Sunderland’s January recruitment drive.
The Black Cats brought in Romaine Mundle from Liege, Leo Hjelde from Leeds United, and Callum Styles on loan from Barnsley with an option to buy.
And all three have since had mixed reviews from fans.
Hjelde and Styles especially; Hjelde started well but has since dropped off, whilst Styles started poorly but then showed some good form.
There’s still a lot of hope for ex-Spurs man Mundle, though, who we’ve not seen too much of since he made the January switch.
But the Black Cats are paying for their inability to sign a striker.
Sporting director Kristjaan Speakman previously revealed that the club saw two bids for strikers knocked back in January.
And this week, it’s been revealed that Sunderland had agreed deals for both Kieffer Moore and Jay Stansfield in January, though both deals would fall through.
One man will be glad he didn’t join Sunderland
If Sunderland had signed a striker in January, and a prolific one too, then things might look very different for them now.
Michael Beale may well still be in charge and the Black Cats could be further up the table.
But Mike Dodds has had to pick up the pieces from a very poor overall season, doing so with very little firepower at his disposal.
And Sunderland have had to watch their season unfold whilst long-term target Moore has shone for Ipswich Town.
The Welshman has scored seven in 17 Championship outings for the Tractor Boys since arriving on loan from Bournemouth, with Town swooping in at the last minute and taking the 31-year-old from under Sunderland’s nose.
And now Ipswich are on the verge of promotion to the Premier League.
They need just a point against 23rd place Huddersfield Town at Portman Road this weekend to seal their fate, and for Moore, after is impressive loan stint, Ipswich may well fancy a permanent swoop.
For Moore then, the move has really worked out.
And after seeing how poorly Sunderland have fared, he’ll no doubt be glad that he joined Ipswich Town instead of moving to the Stadium of Light.
Sunderland may still be in the Kieffer Moore race
Moore is under contract at Bournemouth until 2025.
With the Cherries flying high and likely to restock in the summer transfer window, Moore may fall even further out of contention, and given his contract, Bournemouth could be keen to finally cash in.
Ipswich’s stance on a permanent swoop, should they be promoted, may be argued; whilst he could be a good addition, Ipswich Town may want bigger and better if they reach the riches of the Premier League.
So for Sunderland, a potential summer swoop for Moore could be plausible.
Despite his age, Sunderland clearly like him, and his scoring record for Ipswich Town will have done his chances of a summer move away from Bournemouth no harm whatsoever.
It’ll depend on money; whether Sunderland can get a good deal on the price and on his wages, though with the Black Cats probably cashing in on a couple of players this summer, there could be room in the budget for Moore.
It could finally solve Sunderland’s striker woes in the Championship.