Birmingham City and Watford are obvious obstacles for Sunderland in Wigan transfer race: View
Reports have linked Sunderland with Latics goalkeeper Sam Tickle, but they may not be the only ones interested this summer.
Although the EFL season still has plenty of matches remaining, transfer rumours ahead of the summer are already beginning to surface.
One club to have a player linked with a move away recently is Wigan Athletic, with Latics goalkeeper Sam Tickle having been touted for a potential Championship move ahead of the summer.
Sunderland linked with Wigan Athletic’s Sam Tickle
Sunderland are the latest side to be linked with the England youth international, who is enjoying a breakthrough campaign at the DW Stadium.
According to Alan Nixon via Patreon, the Black Cats are ‘checking in’ on Tickle in case their number one goalkeeper Anthony Patterson moves on this summer.
Patterson has been touted with a move away from the Stadium of Light ahead of the summer, with Sunderland said to be fearing bids for their number one.
Nixon claims that Sunderland could demand £20 million for Patterson, which would allow them to sign ‘bargain replacement’ Tickle.
Sunderland may face Sam Tickle competition from Birmingham City
Unfortunately for Sunderland, though, there are multiple clubs in the Championship that are set to be looking for a new goalkeeper. In that sense, the Black Cats are likely to face multiple obstacles to land the talented 21-year-old.
Birmingham City are another team in the second tier that have also been linked with Tickle previously and will be looking to sign at least one new goalkeeper this summer.
The Blues’ current number one John Ruddy is out of contract at the end of June, as is the club’s current back-up goalkeeper Neil Etheridge.
Ruddy has featured 39 times in the Championship this season, but has conceded a whopping 60 goals, whilst Etheridge was displaced as the club’s number one back in the summer of 2022.
