According to Alan Nixon, Sheffield United is considering a transfer for Anthony Patterson, the goalkeeper for Sunderland.
United was relegated from the Premier League with a whimper, and the Blades are gearing themselves for life in the Championship. Sadly, they haven’t performed well enough in the 2023–24 season, so fans will merely be relieved that there is a good possibility they will watch their side win more games the next year. Even though they might start the upcoming season with a -2 record, they have a chance to challenge for promotion if they can hold onto a sizable portion of their roster.
Ahead of the 2024–2025 season, it appears that Chris Wilder’s team is eager to bolster their goalkeeping unit. Patterson and Viktor Johansson, a stopper for Rotherham United, are reportedly of interest. However, Patterson appears to be the top player on United’s priority list, and the team is willing to pay almost £8 million to try to sign the young keeper. The Black Cats are eager to get twice that for their first pick, but there’s a chance they may profit from the player, so this could become an interesting story to follow.
Wolverhampton Wanderers and Liverpool are also vying for his services, although United may move swiftly. With Anthony Patterson, Sunderland is in a good negotiation position. The Black Cats may not have finished in the top six and did not win promotion, but they are in a great position to negotiate with Patterson because of a few important considerations. First of all, the goalkeeper still has four years left on his deal with the Stadium of Light. He is only 24 years old and has been getting a lot of playing time lately.
He is a very important player due to all of these factors, and the team may benefit financially as well. Ross Stewart was sold by the Black Cats last summer, and they haven’t made any extravagant purchases in a while. Another number of significant players could go this summer; after a fantastic couple of seasons, Jack Clarke is expected to be of interest to many teams, and Premier League teams are also interested in Pierre Ekwah.
Many would consider Patterson’s move to Bramall Lane to be an advancement, because the Blades will be playing in the top division in 2023–2024. By the end of the following season, United can be at the top of the table despite having to start the season with -2 points. The team has only won three league games this season and has not won a league game since February, thus it will be challenging for them to break out of their present slump.
Even in a lower league, it will be very challenging to turn around their form.
With Wes Foderingham’s contract expiring this summer and Ivo Grbic failing to make much of an impact, Patterson would likely be a regular starter at Bramall Lane. However, there’s a chance that Patterson’s current club could be just as successful as United the following season, especially if they hire the right manager. Should that transpire and Patterson goes on, he will be kicking himself for joining the Blades.
Keeping in mind the factors discussed in the previous section, the Black Cats are likely not under much pressure to sell him either, which is another factor that might keep the stopper at the SoL. The 24-year-old should aim to join a well-established top-tier team where he will be assured of consistent playing time if he decides to leave the SoL.
He might eventually be offered regular starts by Wolves, so switching to Molineux is definitely something to think about. The goalie, who has been admired by the Midlands club for some time, should have a good chance of earning some playing time under Gary O’Neil.
