The summer transfer window officially opened for business last month and Sunderland have made four additions to the playing squad so far.
Who have Sunderland signed this summer?
Jenson Seelt, Jobe Bellingham, Luis Semedo, and Nectarios Triantis have all arrived at the Stadium of Light on permanent deals to bolster Tony Mowbray's options across the pitch.
However, with Semedo coming in as a 19-year-old with no first-team experience, the Black Cats are yet to add a senior centre-forward to their ranks.
They lost Ellis Simms after his loan spell from Everton in January and then brought in Joe Gelhardt on a temporary basis from Leeds United until the end of the season.
This means that Ross Stewart is the only experienced number nine in the squad and the Scotland international has been linked with a move away from Wearside.
Fellow Championship side Stoke, along with Premier League team Luton Town, are reportedly interested in signing the 27-year-old ace, who has one year remaining on his contract with Sunderland.
Mowbray could, however, land a dream heir to Stewart by securing a deal to sign reported £3m transfer target Tom Cannon from Everton this summer.
How old is Tom Cannon?
The Toffees attacker is a 20-year-old striker who has already proven himself to be capable of scoring goals at an impressive rate in the Championship.
He spent the second half of last season on loan with Preston North End and produced eight goals to go along with four 'big chances' created in 19 league starts.
Stewart, meanwhile, plundered ten goals alongside one 'big chance' created in 13 matches for Sunderland, which came after he managed 26 goals in 49 League One appearances during the 2021/22 campaign.
The Scottish marksman missed 36 competitive games through injury last term and it remains to be seen whether or not he will be able to replicate his insane Championship form after recovering from an Achilles blow.
He has racked up a goal every other game for Sunderland in his career to date, with 40 strikes in 80 clashes, and Cannon is a player with the potential to reach similar figures.
The Ireland U20 international scored 51 times in 97 games for Everton at youth level, which works out as a strike every 1.9 matches on average – better than Stewart's once every two games for the Black Cats.
Cannon, who was described as a "fantastic" talent by Preston boss Ryan Lowe last season, has showcased his prolific tendencies in academy football and was able to translate some of it through to his performances at Deepdale, with a goal every 2.38 starts on average.
At the age of 20, the talented youngster would arrive as a player with the quality to make an instant impact in the Championship whilst also holding the potential to develop into a lethal scorer for Sunderland.
This could make him a dream replacement for Stewart, should the Scottish dynamo depart this summer, as Mowbray would have an excellent number nine who could be a superb player for the club both now and over the years to come.
