Having allowed Younes Kaboul to depart for Watford, Sunderland addressed a need to strengthen their defensive options with the signing of Man City’s Jason Denayer on a season-long loan.
The 21-year-old Belgian international will link up with compatriot Adnan Januzaj at the Stadium of Light, and speaking about the young defender, manager David Moyes stated how Denayer could allow the him to vary the Wearsiders’ tactics:
“We brought in Jason, who can play centre-half and full-back… He was interesting to us because I don’t think having Lamine Kone, Papy Djilobodji and John O’Shea was enough to get us through the season. With the possibility of injuries and suspensions, you really need four centre-backs. I also wanted him because he gives me the flexibility to play three at the back alongside Kone and Djilobodji, which I will do at times.”
The History
Denayer began his youth career at FC Ganshoren and Anderlecht in his native Belgium, before moving to the JMG Academy in Lier at the age of 13, where he was converted from a striker to a defender.
In July 2013, Denayer joined Manchester City’s academy, and after a year impressing for the club’s Under 21 side, he was sent on a season-long loan to Celtic.
The Belgian made his debut for the Hoops in a 6-1 win against Dundee United, in which he scored and was named man of the match. Denayer gained plenty of first-team experience in Scotland, playing 29 league matches, scoring five goals and registering one assist.
He spent much of the campaign playing alongside Virgil van Dijk in central defence, and was crowned PFA Young Player of the Year, after helping the Scottish giants to a league and cup double.
Last season, Denayer was sent out on another season-long loan, this time to Turkish side Galatasaray. Some niggling injuries limited the defender to 17 league appearances, registering one assist in terms of attacking returns. He did feature at both centre-back and right-back in Turkey, and also gained some Champions League experience, playing in four matches during the group stage.
After featuring for Belgium at Under 19 and Under 21 levels, scoring one goal in 11 matches, Denayer made his senior debut against Israel in March 2015. He has been handed eight outings for his country to this point, although his only appearance in Euro 2016 came in the 3-1 defeat to Wales at the quarter-final stage.
The Prospects
While Moyes has so far this season opted for a four-man defence, the addition of Denayer will allow the Scotsman to tinker with his tactics.
With Lamine Kone staying at the club following a summer of speculation, he looks to be the first choice centre-back for the Black Cats, with Papy Djilobodji perhaps his favoured partner, having started the last two matches. John O’Shea and Denayer offer further options, then, with one of them likely to earn a starting berth in either the 3-5-2, 3-4-3 or 3-4-2-1 formations.
Somewhat surprisingly, although Sunderland have conceded five goals so far, only two sides have allowed the opposition less shots from inside the box. They also have the second best record for attempts against from set-pieces, and have allowed the fewest headed efforts in the opening three Gameweeks.
All things considered, then, Moyes’ men have been unlucky not to have kept a clean sheet so far, with 27 of the 40 goal attempts they’ve conceded coming from outside the area.
With three home matches (EVE, CPL, WBA) and a trip to Stoke to come in the next five, the prospects for finally registering a shut-out or two over the coming period appear bright.
Given that Denayer is priced at 4.9 in Fantasy Premier League (FPL), though, it’s Djilobodji and, in particular, Kone, who appear the best bets.
The Ivorian has managed 10 penalty box touches in just two outings this season, with Djilobodji not far behind with eight, while both players have registered two shots from inside the box.
Moyes is clearly looking to his centre-backs to get involved in the opposition box, then, something that gives them added appeal from a Fantasy perspective. All the more so when you consider the rule change for holding in the box, potentially offering the pair more leeway to attack crosses from dead-ball situations.
Kone also scored twice and claimed one assist in just 15 league matches last season, and looks a viable option for one of our five defender slots over the coming months.
There are other options in the Sunderland backline, though, with the stock of Patrick van Aanholt (5.0) and Javier Manquillo (4.5) set to rise should Moyes operate with wing-backs on a regular basis. Van Aanholt already has a goal and three shots on target this season, and could be worth the extra outlay should he be used in a more advanced position.
At the other end of the scale, goalkeeper Jordan Pickford will be impossible to ignore at 4.0 in FPL should he remain the first choice option and recover from a minor thigh complaint. Yesterday’s acquisition of Portuguese stopper Mika, however, places question marks over Pickford’s place in the XI until Vito Mannone recovers from injury.
So while Denayer’s prospects are primarily hampered by his prohibitive price tag, there are clearly other options in the Sunderland backline that look set to provide excellent value over the next few months, potentially proving useful enablers to help fund the plethora of in-form premium options elsewhere.
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