Alious
A striker once on Sunderland’s radar has revealed just how serious the club was about signing him during the winter window—and his comments may leave some fans wondering what might’ve been.
Sunderland’s search for reliable goal-scorers has been a recurring theme in recent seasons. Under Tony Mowbray, the club lacked a natural finisher. Fast forward to this season, and Regis Le Bris has seemingly cracked the code, with Wilson Isidor and Eliezer Mayenda sharing a combined 27 goal contributions. The Black Cats now sit comfortably in fourth place, having sealed a playoff spot with games to spare. But that didn’t stop the club from pursuing reinforcements in January—and one near-miss might just sting a little.
Among the many names linked to the club, Croatian forward **Matija Frigan** stood out. The 22-year-old, currently plying his trade at Belgian side Westerlo, was strongly tipped for a move to Wearside in January. With ten goals in 24 starts, he was considered a perfect fit for a team pushing for automatic promotion. Yet, despite reports that the deal was on the brink, it never materialised.
Frigan has now broken his silence on the saga, telling *SportWitness*:
> “I think it was serious. I liked the idea, but when it didn’t go through, I put it out of my mind the next morning. The summer is coming, maybe a new opportunity.”
While Sunderland’s interest was very real, Frigan’s contract—running until 2028—meant any deal would require a hefty investment. And with the club already making savvy, low-cost acquisitions like Mayenda (who cost just £800k), it’s no surprise the deal fell through.
Sunderland’s January window ultimately saw the failed loan capture of Liverpool prospect Jayden Danns due to an injury flagged during his medical. Meanwhile, other high-profile targets slipped through their fingers. Sheffield United snapped up Tom Cannon for £10 million, though the move has yet to bear fruit. Cannon has struggled to find the net, drawing frustration from fans. His teammate Ben Brereton Diaz, also courted by Sunderland, has fared better with four goals and three assists since returning to Bramall Lane.
Elsewhere, the likes of Chuba Akpom (Lille), Cameron Archer (Southampton), and Emil Riis Jakobsen (Preston) were all linked with Wearside but chose—or were forced—to stay away. Akpom’s move to Ligue 1 has produced just two goals so far, while Archer remains caught in Southampton’s Premier League nosedive. Jakobsen, on the other hand, has been a solid presence at Preston, even netting against Sunderland in a 1-1 draw.
While Sunderland’s current strike force is firing, the missed opportunity to land Frigan—and others—might return to the spotlight should their promotion bid fall short. The summer window could reignite the pursuit, but one thing’s certain: this was a January full of what-ifs, near-misses, and bold ambitions that didn’t quite come off.
Alious
