Sunderland Transfers: Why Tom Huddlestone Would Be a Strong Summer Buy

Having already completed seven signings this summer, Sunderland have been the busiest Premier League club and are only likely to increase their tally of new arrivals.

One of those being linked with a move to the Stadium of Light—and not for the first time—is Tottenham fringe player, Tom Huddlestone, who is once again being associated with those leaving White Hart Lane, per the Guardian.

Although the 26-year-old has fallen out of favour in North London, Huddlestone has the potential to be the most important figure at Sunderland.

Right Place at the Right Time

As of this moment, Sunderland’s midfield is without a doubt the area undergoing the most rigorous change with their new manager at the helm.

Although former FC Basel man, Cabral, is the only central player to have been brought into the side, rumour would dictate that a bevy of midfield names could yet head for the Stadium of Light exit.

According to the Mirror Lee Cattermole and Stephane Sessegnon are probable candidates to leave and the Sunderland Echo have reported that David Vaughan is viewed as surplus to requirements. If that wasn’t enough, the Irish Independent now allege that Jack Colback will jump ship having turned down a contract extension under Di Canio.

In short, space could be all too available for a few reinforcements in that area of the pitch.

With Cabral, Alfred N’Diaye, Craig Gardner and Sebastian Larsson seemingly the only safe faces in central midfield, a more creative influx certainly wouldn’t go astray, either.

At times in his career, Huddlestone has been remarked as one of the best passers in the English game. George Burley, the former Derby County manager who gave the then-17-year-old his professional debut has even compared his ex-trainee to former England great, Glenn Hoddle, per the Guardian.

Burley, who managed Crystal Palace as recently as 2011, has stated:

"

It may be a big thing to say, but there is nobody else in the Premier League with the type of passing that Tom has in his locker. He can play the ball with his left and his right foot, he can send over a 70-yard pass or put through a short ball to send a striker away on goal.

"

Of course, some plaguing knee injuries have seen Huddlestone’s progress halted in a way, and what was looking like a promising England career is now on hold, at the least.

That being said, the Nottingham native has the playmaking attributes currently needed by the team that recorded one of the lowest goal tallies in the 2012-13 campaign.

Positional Malleability

As the modern game has progressed, so too has the nature of how position is defined and the frequency with which players are called upon to fulfil multiple roles within a team.

In his truest nature, Huddlestone is a deep-lying playmaker, one who pulls the strings from a side’s engine room while others might accomplish the more exuberant feats.

However, the midfielder’s play is not limited exclusively to those confines. As Huddlestone has shown in the past, the 26-year-old is capable of dropping further back, happy to play the role of defensive midfielder.

In fact, some may already classify the Spurs man as an anchor, but Huddlestone’s positioning and penchant to step into more advanced positions points to an altogether more rounded asset.

Huddlestone’s versatility even means that filling in at centre-back is not to be considered out of the question for the playmaker, something Di Canio might require at times given the average age of his central defenders.

With Cabral and N’Diaye undoubtedly the more defensively-inclined of Sunderland’s current midfield batch, Huddlestone would be given license to roam more than he’s been able to at Spurs of late.

Cut-Price Fee

According to the Guardian’s Louise Taylor, talks between Sunderland and Tottenham are thought to be discussing a deal for Huddlestone somewhere in the region of £5 million.

Although the layer made 28 appearances for the North London side last season, many of those came from the bench and have left Huddlestone with a sense of frustration towards Andre Villas-Boas.

All in all, it’s a good state of affairs as far as Sunderland can be concerned. The player is eager to leave, the manager seems willing to sell the player and the player is also something that Sunderland are in need of—a creative but powerful central weapon.

What’s more, if Huddlestone is indeed keen to move on, the promise of playing time with the Black Cats could force through a deal that much faster and at that much less of a fee, too.

For a 26-year-old English international who has one more than one occasion been tipped for great things, Huddlestone looks a savvy expenditure. There’s certainly worse ways to spend £5 million in the Premier League.

Considering it’s the likes of Moussa Dembele, Sandro, Lewis Holtby, Scott Parker, Gylfi Sigurdsson and now Brazil’s Paulinho that the player would be competing for a place with, it’s understandable how he may have slipped down the pecking order.

However, at Sunderland, Huddlestone could be a key presence, the latch between defence, midfield and attack, all in one handy, bargain package.

The general consensus in football is that ages 27-30 is where an outfielder will experience their playing prime. With that being the case and should the player be able to stave off niggling knee injuries, it may yet be Paolo Di Canio who gets the best out of Tom Huddlestone.