Sunderland want potential loan deal for highly-rated 20-year-old

Sunderland are considering possibilities for teenage goalkeeper Adam Richardson in the second part of the season, according to The Echo.

Richardson is highly regarded by coaches at the Academy of Light, and that belief was reflected in the offer of a three-year contract in May, which extended his tenure on Wearside until the summer of 2026 when he signed.

The 20-year-old played for Sunderland in pre-season under Tony Mowbray and was expected to join the senior goalkeeping squad behind Nathan Bishop and first-choice Anthony Patterson until suffering an injury at the end of last summer.

Richardson has subsequently returned to fitness at the Academy of Light and has made two appearances for Sunderland’s under-21 squad, but he is competing for minutes with the aforementioned Bishop, thus the Black Cats are considering a loan move.

Although the January transfer window has closed, non-league clubs can still loan players from the EFL and Premier League. Sunderland recently moved highly rated goalkeeper Matty Young, 16, to Darlington in the National League North to obtain first-team experience, and The Echo believes the Wearsiders are considering a similar transfer for Richardson.

 

 

Under-21 striker Harry Gardiner is now on loan at Blyth Spartans, who also compete in the National League North, while former Hartlepool United loanee Zak Johnson has recently joined Irish club Dundalk on loan from Sunderland.

Sunderland has a solid record when it comes to goalkeepers, having developed England’s number one Jordan Pickford through their youth system, as well as current first-choice Anthony Patterson.

Patterson has 111 Sunderland appearances at the age of 23, following a time with Notts County in the National League that helped launch his career. Pickford had time on loan at Darlington, Alfreton Town, Burton Albion, Carlisle United, Bradford City, and Preston North End before getting into Sunderland’s first squad and finally joining Everton for a £25 million deal.

Sunderland’s Academy of Light includes numerous highly ranked goalkeepers in addition to Patterson, Young, and Richardson, including 19-year-old Dan Cameron and Ben Metcalf, who is 17. Last October, the Black Cats signed former Leicester City goalkeeper Kelechi Chibueze. However, the 20-year-old’s contract with the club is scheduled to expire in June, though Sunderland has the option of extending it for another year.