As per one of the latest reports by Shropshire Star, Sunderland are understood to be keen to land Shrewsbury Town midfielder, Jon Nolan, at the Stadium to Light in the summer. Shrewsbury Town have undoubtedly emerged as a surprise package in League One this season and are currently at the top of the league table. Promotion to the Championship is obviously a gettable target for them.
Under the tutelage of Paul Hurst, the Salop have churned stupendous results and Nolan has been one of the best performers for the English third-tier outfit. The 25-year-old has smashed 8 goals and has garnered 5 assists so far in the league this season and no wonder Sunderland have put him on their radar as a prospective target for the summer transfer window.
Sunderland boss, Chris Coleman, was present in Shrewsbury Town’s 1-0 win over AFC Wimbledon last weekend, where Nolan featured throughout the 90 minutes. Apart from the Black Cats, their fellow Championship outfits, Sheffield United and Leeds United, are also believed to the interested to make him sign on the dotted line in the summer. Thus, it would not be a walk in the park for Sunderland to acquire Nolan’s services.
Sunderland have been in stuttering form this season and are facing a very realistic prospect of relegation unless Coleman’s troops manage to manoeuvre a miracle. Their apparent interest to sign Nolan makes complete sense, for his passing, vision and creativity is quite notable. Being a central midfielder, he gallops forward time and again to find the back of the net as well as to create chances for his teammates.
He holds the ball meticulously, distributes it well and showcases immense work-ethic on the pitch more often than not. Nolan has been rarely found to be under pressure this season and he has seamlessly dictated the tempo of the game from the middle of the park. Besides, he has been a key cog in Shrewsbury Town’s attack and no wonder his stocks are highly rated.
Being a player, he would definitely be tempted to move to a better club in the near future but given Sunderland’s chances of getting relegated at the end of the season, a move to Coleman’s ranks might not tempt him. Moreover, a number of clubs are monitoring him and it will be intriguing to see which club he ends up at if indeed Nolan makes a move.
Stats Courtesy: Whoscored