Sam Allardyce wants his Sunderland players to ease the pressure on him to break the bank in the January transfer window.
Sunderland have been linked with a few players recently, with Allardyce watching Lorient’s game against Paris Saint-Germain, and Charlie Austin being linked with a move to the Stadium of Light.
Austin declared last month that he wants to stay at Queens Park Rangers until his contract expires in the summer. However, it has yet to be seen if the club will cash in on the striker in January instead.
Allardyce wants to add players to his side, however, he knows that some players, especially foreign stars, will find a move to a relegation threatened Sunderland a less than unattractive prospect.
But he his hoping that his players can prove to him that they have the quality to again keep the Black Cats in the Premier League.
I think spotting a player is something that we have to try to do. But there’s still a squad here that can prove an awful lot to me, and show that I need very little in January. They’ve got a difficult task ahead of them with the fixtures we’ve got before Christmas – starting with Stoke. If January pops up someone with the quality and ability to make us better, then I think a squad of players accept that player coming in. They look forward to playing with him. But if it’s the reverse, then it brings in negativity. That’s the hardest part of the job.
Reports in France have also linked Sunderland with young French striker Nils Bouekou. The 20-year-old has failed to make a first-team appearance for his side, however, he has attracted an interest from Sunderland and Spurs, who will look to sign the striker on a cheap deal as his contract expires in the Summer.
