According to recent reports, Wolves are considering Sunderland goalkeeper Anthony Patterson as a January transfer target in case one of their own goalkeepers leaves. Wolves are fighting for Premier League survival under new manager Vitor Pereira, who has reinstated Jose Sa in the starting lineup in recent weeks, with Sam Johnstone sliding to the bench. However, Alan Nixon has stated on his Patreon page that the goalkeeping situation at Molineux is unlikely to remain, implying that one of their shot-stoppers may go.
This opens the way for Wolves to pursue Sunderland’s Patterson, with Nixon reporting that the Premier League club has reopened its investigation into him. Wolves check on Sunderland goalkeeper Anthony Patterson. This season’s goalkeeping situation at Molineux has not been easy, with neither Sa nor Johnstone able to establish themselves as regular starters. Sa started the season as first choice before Johnstone replaced him after joining from Crystal Palace in the summer, but Portuguese international Sa then took his place before Johnstone returned to the side this month.
However, new manager Pereira appears to favour his compatriot Sa, and the chopping and changing of shot-stoppers isn’t helping anyone, so January presents an ideal opportunity to make changes to their goalkeeping department. According to Nixon, Johnstone is surprised to have been demoted to the bench, and the goalkeeping position is unlikely to improve, paving the way for Patterson’s transfer.
Patterson has previously received interest from Premier League clubs, including Arsenal and Liverpool last season, as well as Manchester United in recent years. Nixon also stated that Patterson is currently available to Spurs, implying that Wolves will face stiff competition to sign him in January. After an outstanding start to the season with Sunderland, losing Patterson would be a significant setback for Regis Le Bris, which they would want to prevent. Anthony Patterson is important for Sunderland’s promotion ambitions.
Patterson has been in excellent form this season, and as a young English shot-stopper, it’s clear why so many Premier League clubs want to recruit him. The 24-year-old has seven clean sheets in 19 appearances, and it’s evident that losing him in January would be devastating to the Black Cats’ promotion chances. January is a difficult month to do business in, and Sunderland won’t have much time to find a suitable replacement, so they’ll be praying that no concrete interest arises next month.
Sunderland are undoubtedly in the promotion race this season, and Patterson’s greatest opportunity of becoming a Premier League starter may be to win promotion with the Black Cats rather than transferring in January and maybe becoming a backup goalkeeper.
Leave a Reply