The promoted sides last season found out the hard way how cruel a beast the Premier League can truly be, with Sunderland desperate to continue that trend.
Leicester City, Ipswich Town, and Southampton all sank back down to the Championship in depressing fashion, having conceded a combined total of 248 strikes, with Regis Le Bris the manager now tasked with changing this dire narrative as his side make their return to the unforgiving division.
The majority of the Black Cats’ signings that have stolen the limelight so far this summer have centred on the midfield and attacking spots, with Simon Adingra a brand-new exciting option down the flanks, away from Habib Diarra adding more quality centrally for £30m.
But, to ensure survival can still be reached against all the odds stacked against them, more defensive purchases must surely be prioritised now.
Sunderland exploring move for new goalkeeper
Already, the Black Cats have added in a new left-back to their ever-expanding camp, with Le Bris welcoming in ex-Atletico Madrid defender Reinildo on a free transfer deal recently.
This is unlikely to be the only major defensive addition, however, with Le Bris presumably worried by the prospect of his underdog outfit conceding goals for fun, much like the relegated sides before them.
Off the back of that, a new first-choice goalkeeper might be on the agenda to replace Anthony Patterson, with a new report from Dutch outlet Gazet Van Antwerpen linking Sunderland with a swoop for Royal Antwerp stopper Senne Lammens.
The report – which has been relayed by Sport Witness – reveals that Antwerp are looking to offload Lammens this summer, having already purchased his long-term replacement, which has alerted English clubs in the form of Sunderland, Leeds United, and Manchester United to his services.
Antwerp’s recent Player of the Season winner would be available for just £17m, according to the report, meaning he might just be the ‘keeper addition Sunderland desire now, over pursuing past target Aaron Ramsdale to add strength in depth in goal.
Why Lammens would be a better signing than Ramsdale
Ramsdale – who is reportedly open to the move – would have the immediate advantage of Premier League experience on his side, considering he has a sturdy haul of 183 top-flight games in England next to his name.
However, it’s fair to say his recent experiences in the demanding division have been fraught with difficulties, with Ramsdale adding a worrying third relegation down to the EFL onto his CV last season when attempting to try his best for the basement Saints.
| Lammens’ league numbers for Antwerp (24/25) vs Ramsdale (24/25) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Stat | Lammens | Ramsdale |
| Games played | 40 | 30 |
| Goals conceded | 52 | 66 |
| Goals conceded per game | 1.3 | 2.2 |
| Saves | 173 | 125 |
| Saves per game | 4.3 | 4.2 |
| Clean sheets | 9 | 3 |
| Penalties saved | 4/8 | 2/7 |
| Goals prevented | +15.57 | +0.14 |
| Stats by Sofascore | ||
Unfortunately, even as Ramsdale averaged a high 4.2 saves per league clash, all his efforts would be in vain as the declining 27-year-old kept a weak three clean sheets. In contrast, whilst the ex-Arsenal keeper continues to experience a crisis in confidence, Lammens’ stock in the game appears to only be rising.
When glancing at the table above, he wipes the floor with his English counterpart in every area of their respective games, with Lammens amazingly preventing +15.57 goals last season in league action when confidently placing himself in between the sticks for Stef Wils’ men.
Le Bris would no doubt be more at ease offering Lammens the first team reins over Ramsdale, therefore, with football talent scout Jacek Kulig even going out of his way to label the 6-foot-4 stopper’s individual campaign as “simply phenomenal”.
Ramsdale also once lapped up compliments in the same glowing manner, but with a mere five clean sheets next to his name across his last two Premier League campaigns, it’s an almighty gamble on Sunderland’s end to trust him as their number one option.
On the contrary, after such a standout season in the Belgian top-flight, Lammens might well be ready now for the test of a Premier League dog-fight, having also been heralded as possessing “elite potential” by football analyst Ben Mattinson.
