Sunderland fans are in an absolute dreamland this season at the moment, with Regis Le Bris’ men now five points clear at the top of the Championship after picking up another victory in the league this weekend just gone.
It’s now a mightily impressive nine wins from 12 for the super confident Black Cats in the second tier, with a stunning Wilson Isidor strike sealing a 2-0 win over Oxford United last time out to further extend their points advantage in top spot.
Sunderland will just be glad Isidor’s loan spell is going so well, having been subjected to some failures in the loan market in recent years, away from the Frenchman taking to English football like a duck to water.
Sunderland's recent loan failures
You only need to cast an eye at Sunderland’s business from last season to see some mishaps in this department, with Mason Burstow utterly forgettable throughout his loan stint away from Chelsea.
The goal-shy striker would find the back of the net just once from 20 games in the Championship for the Black Cats, and would go down as a colossal failure consequently, when a move to the Stadium of Light should have been formative for the growing attacker.
There are other examples away from the striker positions, with Lee Camp one name that will instantly make Sunderland fans lament the past, as the ex-Nottingham Forest goalkeeper severely struggled situated in Wearside.
Camp would concede 22 goals from 12 games in-between the sticks for Sunderland during the 2017/18 campaign, which culminated in the Black Cats tasting the bitter pain of a second successive relegation down to League One, as the experienced ‘keeper failed to keep a single clean sheet across that torrid patch of games.
There have been many more loanees that have crashed and burned for the Black Cats, away from just these examples, including this one-time Sunderland attacker, who has since turned into a top star in the Premier League away from his underwhelming spell at the club.
The one-time Sunderland loanee now worth £50m
The player in question here is Antoine Semenyo, who barely featured for Sunderland during the 2019/20 season when the Wearside strugglers were all the way down in League One.
The Ghanaian attacker would only make seven appearances for the Black Cats before then being allowed to return to parent club Bristol City, failing to score or assist a single goal during his unmemorable stay at the Stadium of Light.
Now, however, Semenyo is one of AFC Bournemouth’s main stars in the top-flight, playing all across the forward positions for Andoni Iraola’s men as a crucial part of the jigsaw.
This campaign alone, the 24-year-old has three goals and one assist from ten games in all competitions – which included this sublime strike finding the back of the net against Southampton at the end of September – which takes his Cherries goal and assist total up to an impressive 15 from 57 games.
Stat – per 90 mins*
Semenyo
Season
23/24
24/25
Games played
33
9
Goals scored
8
3
Assists
2
1
Expected goals (xG)
4.64
2.99
Goal conversion %
11%
8%
Shots*
2.1
4.2
Big chances missed
5
2
Big chances created
6
2
Away from a quiet first season in the Premier League, Semenyo first introduced himself to the elite division as a tricky and skilful forward last campaign with ten goal contributions in total, a far-cry away from a much younger Semenyo who never got going in the third tier.
As a result, the Cherries ace is now being touted to move away from the South Coast to clubs such as Arsenal and Newcastle United as his stock increases more and more, with a bold £50m price-tag now next to his name.
Even branded as “unplayable” on his day by football journalist Ed Aarons after that sumptuous goal against the Saints, Semenyo looks like he’ll reach dizzier heights than Bournemouth soon enough, as Sunderland wonder what went wrong for him so early into his career at the-then third-tier outfit.
Key update on whether Wilson Isidor will sign permanent Sunderland contract
The Black Cats have a huge incentive to get promoted.
ByHenry JacksonOct 29, 2024