3 reasons why Sunderland must go all-out to seal deal for 35-y/o target

Sunderland are back in the Championship and Alex Neil will be hoping to strengthen his squad ahead of the new campaign.

One area they need a new option is in goal, with Ron-Thorben Hoffmann returning to Germany after his loan spell, meaning fresh competition for Anthony Patterson is required.

And, reports have suggested that John Ruddy is someone on the Black Cats’ radar. The 35-year-old is set to be a free agent when his deal with Wolves expires in the coming weeks, so he is on the lookout for a new club.

Here we outline THREE reasons why Sunderland must do all they can to convince Ruddy to come to Wearside…

He’s available on a free

Whilst Sunderland are expected to spend on their return to the Championship, the reality is that they won’t have huge funds available for Neil.

So, they will have to search for bargains and picking up Ruddy on a free would certainly fall into that category. Admittedly, he would command a decent wage but overall it would be a cheap deal for a keeper that could help them considerably over the next year or two.

He is proven at this level

Crucially, Ruddy would be a very good addition to the squad as well.

Patterson deserves huge credit for the way he performed in the latter part of the campaign but there will be doubts about whether he can handle the step up to the Championship.

With Ruddy, there won’t be many doubts. He has won this league before, he’s played in the Premier League and even represented England, so he will be able to fit in straight away.

He would be a good influence in the dressing room

In his final few seasons at Molineux, Ruddy predominantly played in the cup competitions, so he spent most of the time on the bench.

However, players and staff at Wolves have regularly