Sunderland have been linked with some massive names over time, which in some circumstances might have led to an entire turnaround from the place the membership is now.
There is no such thing as a touted transfer with extra potential to have executed this than when the Black Cats had been linked with Virgil van Dijk again in 2015.
Would Virgil van Dijk have stopped Sunderland’s droop to League One?
Sure
No
Gus Poyet even just lately got here out to say that he had watched him within the Dutch league when he labored for Brighton & Hove Albion, so while he was supervisor of the Wearside membership he was “very, very ” within the then-Celtic defender.
In reality, the Every day Mail even reported that they’d an £8m bid lined up for the defender.
Everybody now is aware of his story although, of how that switch didn’t materialise as he moved to Southampton, earlier than becoming a member of Liverpool in a world report payment for a defender.
All of it might have been so totally different had Sunderland simply taken the plunge on the Dutchman who was on fireplace for the Scottish champions.
He has since gone on to win practically every thing on the Reds while being topped the PFA Gamers’ Participant of the Yr and UEFA males’s Participant of the Yr in 2019. CIES Soccer Observatory even charges the defensive “monster” at €50m (£45m) these days.
The 31-year-old, for a interval, was broadly recognised as the most effective centre-back in world soccer and has been talked about in conversations with a number of the best ever to do it.
While the £220k-per-week star has accomplished his rise, Sunderland have fallen from the Premier League all the way in which to League One and at the moment are caught hoping for promotion from the Championship.
Not solely was he immense for the Saints, the place he recorded a 7.48 SofaScore ranking throughout the 2016/17 season, but in addition the £75m payment they finally obtained would certainly have gone a great distance in direction of stopping the large droop they confronted.
One instance that may not have been as excessive profile was Jack Rodwell’s refusal to go away the membership, as he drained them together with his £70k-per-week wages while within the Championship.
So many issues would have been totally different had they only taken the chance, and this switch will without end stay one of many greatest ones that acquired away from Sunderland.
