Southampton: Sunderland player on transfer radar as potential replacement for £120k-p/w starter

Southampton are reportedly monitoring Sunderland goalkeeper Anthony Patterson as a potential replacement for Aaron Ramsdale ahead of the summer transfer window.

With Ramsdale expected to leave St Mary’s following the Saints’ Premier League relegation, Patterson has emerged as a key target.

Patterson, 24, has spent the last three and a half seasons as Sunderland’s first-choice goalkeeper, racking up 149 league appearances and keeping 41 clean sheets in the Championship.

A brief dip in form during February saw him come under scrutiny, but the North Shields-born stopper has bounced back as the Black Cats prepare for a high-stakes play-off campaign.

Anthony Patterson on Southampton radar with Aaron Ramsdale departure expected.

According to The Sun, Patterson is now a target for Southampton, as they look to replenish their squad ahead of the 2025-26 Championship season.

Southampton are not the only club keeping tabs on Patterson. Tottenham Hotspur were previously linked when searching for back-up options between the sticks, while Burnley have also reportedly scouted the former England Under-21 international.

Although Patterson has established himself as one of the division’s more consistent keepers, his future may depend heavily on Sunderland’s ability to climb out of the Championship.

Should they fall short against Frank Lampard’s Coventry City in the semi-finals, the Black Cats could face increased pressure to sell to balance the books.

Southampton’s need for a new goalkeeper stems from uncertainty surrounding Aaron Ramsdale’s future.

The five-cap England international, who Capology ESTIMATE earns £120,000 a week at St Mary’s Stadium, is tipped to leave the club this summer, either permanently or on loan, as he seeks top-flight football following Saints’ drop to the second tier.

While Alex McCarthy remains under contract until 2026 and Gavin Bazunu has returned from a loan spell in Belgium after injury, Southampton appear to be in the market for a new No.1 – and Patterson fits the bill as a young, Championship-proven option.

Sunderland’s play-off push may determine Anthony Patterson’s future

Patterson’s future remains closely tied to Sunderland’s performance in the upcoming Championship play-offs.

After five straight league defeats to end the regular season, Regis Le Bris’ side must find form quickly as they prepare for a two-legged clash with Coventry City.

A trip to Wembley on May 24 – and potential promotion to the Premier League – could be decisive.

Should Sunderland fall short, Southampton may be ready to swoop for Patterson, viewing him as a long-term solution in goal as they aim for an immediate return to the top flight.

Patterson may be ‘taken out of firing line’ – Collins

Former Sunderland defender Danny Collins thinks Regis Le Bris has a decision to make about under-fire keeper Anthony Patterson.

The 24-year-old was criticised for his part in Leeds United’s late winning goal last week before fumbling Joe Gelhardt’s near-post corner into his own net against Hull City on Saturday to make it two successive defeats for Sunderland for the first time this season.

Collins – who won the Championship with the Black Cats in 2005 and 2007 – told BBC Radio Newcastle that back-up Simon Moore might start against Sheffield Wednesday on Friday (20:00 GMT) should Le Bris opt to take Patterson “out of the firing line”.

“The spotlight’s on him, coming off the back of the goals Leeds scored, balls coming into the six-yard box. Teams are going to have a look at that now, I’m sure Hull looked at it,” he said.

“It’s a flat ball that’s whipped near-post. He tries to collect it and gather it in, he gets a glove on it, it goes through his hands and drops into the back of the net. It looks horrible, it is horrible, and it’s cost Sunderland points.”

Moore, 34, started four games in October and November, keeping three clean sheets, when Patterson was sidelined through injury, having kept six clean sheets himself in Sunderland’s opening 11 Championship matches.

Collins added: “I feel for Patto, he’s come in for a little bit of flak in recent weeks, hopefully he can bounce back from it.

“His position is possibly under threat – I listen to what the fans are saying. Simon Moore came in earlier in the season and did quite well. He’s an experienced goalkeeper.

“(Le Bris) may well think I’ll just take him out of the firing line. He is still a young keeper and he might feel ‘I’ll just give him a little break and bring (Moore) in’.”