Jack Clarke may be the name currently on everyone’s mind at Sunderland when it comes to a potential January transfer switch, but it is not just the tricky winger that has caught the attention of scouts in the Black Cats squad.
The ex-Tottenham man may be their talisman this season, but Sunderland’s squad is littered with promising young talents that are getting better with regular game-time.
And one of those who is being looked at by top flight clubs is goalkeeper Anthony Patterson, who has certainly been growing since making his league debut for the Wearside outfit two years ago.
The 23-year-old, who made his England under-21’s debut last summer and was being watched by Three Lions senior boss Gareth Southgate early last year in regards to a potential call-up to the senior setup, is among the top young stoppers in the Championship, and that has led to some pretty significant interest in the month of January.
On the hunt for a potential replacement for Caoimhin Kelleher, who is being linked with a move away from Anfield, Liverpool are reportedly interested in Patterson, according to The Sun’s Alan Nixon via his Patreon page, although any deal is likely to happen in the summer rather than in the mid-season transfer window.
Patterson would be second-in-command to Alisson Becker if he made the move to Merseyside, but they could offer what Sunderland value their first-choice stopper at and it could be a tempting move for potential cup appearances.
Arsenal and Man City now join Patterson chase
It is not just Liverpool who are interested in Patterson however, as according to Graeme Bailey of HITC, two more massive top flight outfits are in the running to secure Patterson’s services.
Despite Patterson signing a new contract until 2028 in September, Sunderland will cash in on the goalkeeper for the right price come the summer, according to Bailey, and that has alerted both Arsenal and Man City.
The Gunners are likely to sign David Raya from Brentford permanently at the end of his season-long loan deal, but Aaron Ramsdale will alost certainly attract interest from other clubs and could be cashed in on, hence the interest in Patterson.
Premier League champions City meanwhile have Stefan Ortega as their back-up to Ederson, but they could pursue a home-grown option in Patterson whilst moving the German on.
Summer transfer to linked clubs could seal Patterson’s fate as permanent benchwarmer
The interest in Patterson isn’t a surprise considering his ability and performances for Sunderland, but at the age of 23 he has a long career ahead of him.
For two years now he’s played regular football for the Black Cats, but if he does move to Liverpool, Man City or Arsenal then he is basically signing himself up for a couple or a few games a season if there are no serious injuries.
Alisson, Ederson and Raya are 31, 30 and 28 years of age respectively, so they are by no means near the end of their careers and are arguably all in their prime, so Patterson would be waiting a while to get regular football.
