Opinion: Alex Neil should look at reuniting with Preston North End forward at Sunderland this summer

Alex Neil will now have seen enough of his Sunderland squad in his first seven matches in charge to know who may be at the club next season and who could be on the way out of the Black Cats.

Of course things may depend on what league the Wearside club are in for the 2022-23 campaign – they’re currently embroiled in a battle to finish in League One’s top six – but there’s every chance that it’ll be a fifth consecutive season in the third tier, such is the competition for promotion.

There’s quite a few loanees and players out of contract in the squad right now, and Neil will probably already have his transfer team looking at fresh faces for next season even though we are still just less than two months from the end of the regular season.

And there is every chance that the Scot could look towards his former club in Preston North End for a player or two to bolster his playing staff, with a few coming towards the end of their contracts at Deepdale.

One of those is 28-year-old forward Tom Barkhuizen, and it’s fair to say he was a Neil favourite since his appointment in the summer of 2017 to replace former Black Cats manager Simon Grayson.

During Neil’s tenure at Deepdale, Barkhuizen played 161 league games for the Lilywhites – including all 46 in the 2017-18 season and every single match in the 2020-21 campaign that the winger was available for.

Barkhuizen was a real go-to for Neil at times and in his favoured 4-3-3 system, he more often than not was utilised on the right flank with his electric pace the main asset of his game that exploited full-backs in the second tier.

Capable of playing as a central striker and also as a wing-back, Barkhuizen offers good versatility if needed but with Sunderland lacking in wide players