Having captured Seb Larsson on a free transfer from Birmingham, Sunderland flexed their financial muscles by announcing the signing of Ipswich starlet Connor Wickham for a fee that could rise to £12 million.
The 18-year-old arrives at the Stadium of Light on a five-year deal, fresh from a season with the Tractor Boys that was scattered with eye-catching goals and performances. The 6ft 3in striker claimed the Football League’s Young Player of the Year award for his displays, adding momentum to a bandwagon of hype and attention which culminated in the Black Cats swoop on Wednesday.
Sunderland had to break the transfer record for a football league player to see off the attentions of Liverpool and numerous other suitors; this for a player who will surely need to be eased into his career in the top flight.
While Steve Bruce will be mindful of managing the impact of his new young prospect, Wickham himself remained typically focused on his arrival on Wearside….
“I’m confident in myself and my ability…I know what I can do and am capable of…I’ve never felt pressured or intimidated by matters off the pitch but I’m relieved to have everything done. Now I’m looking forward to getting back into training, getting back into football and meeting the lads. I know what I can do. I’ll work hard, do the best I can and get my head down.”
The Statistics
Wickham has been fast-tracked to the Premier League. He made his debut for Ipswich at the age of just 16 years and 11 days in April 2009, breaking the club record. He went on to make 10 league starts that season, with 19 appearances from the bench. Six goals and an assist arrived in that campaign and his displays were enough to immediately put Premier League clubs on alert.
Last season Wickham made further strides – nine goals in 37 league appearances represented significant progress. All those goals arrived in 2011 with Wickham used as an impact sub to that point. From the New Year however, having served Roy Keane form the bench, Wickham was promoted to the starting XI by new boss Paul Jewell.
While Jewell’s decision to hand Wickham regular starts had results on the pitch, it also got the club Scouts furiously circling Portman Road. The club moved swiftly to sign their star asset on a new contract in April but, realistically, this served mainly as a means of assuring a minimum bid rather than securing the player’s future at the club.
The Prospects
Sunderland’s investment certainly looks sound in the long-term – Wickham is a centre forward with huge potential. A physical specimen with all the attributes to lead the line, he possesses an assured first touch for a big man and has guile and trickery in his armoury. Wickham’s finishing has also caught the eye; for one so young, Wickham can display an assured touch in front of goal and can strike the ball with either foot. It’s a package will have Sunderland fans purring in anticipation; the question is, will they get to see Wickham produce results next season?
Steve Bruce played a major part in attracting Wickham to the club according to yesterday’s claims from the player himself. The Sunderland boss now has the task of reining in his new young talent, whilst serving the supporters inevitable hunger to see Wickham unleashed. The opportunity for a first team breakthrough will surely have proved motivation for Wickham and Bruce certainly suggested that the 18-year-old could make an immediate impact at the club…
“He’s still very young, but at 6ft 3in, he’s a physical presence. With his height and style of play, he will offer us a threat in front of goal and complement our existing strikers. We have been watching him for a while now and he is improving and developing all the time. He’s a great prospect and I’m sure our supporters will love watching him play.”
Fantasy Managers will need to monitor the pre-season and assess how Bruce is likely to use his new asset. With the experience and pedigree of Asamoah Gyan still at the club, the Sunderland boss may afford himself time to blood Wickham gradually rather than throw him against Premier League defences.
With another signing up front perhaps on the cards, there’s a suggestion that Wickham could get loaned out by Sunderland. A regular bench role seems more likely and that will obviously hinder the striker’s potential as a Fantasy prospect. If however, Wickham can successfully make the step up and bring his presence and talent to bear, we may see him emerge as a potential bargain during Sunderland’s favourable fixture window in November. It may be too much to ask for Wickham to earn starts and produce the goods any earlier.
