Sunderland AFC's Anthony Patterson stance should be obvious as Tottenham plot move | OneFootball

The Black Cats should be doing everything they can to retain the shot-stopper, who has been linked with Premier League clubs this term.

Tottenham are the latest team to take an interest in Sunderland goalkeeper Anthony Patterson.

According to Alan Nixon, Spurs will keep tabs on the shot-stopper for the remainder of 2024, having kept a close eye on him in recent times.

They will then decide whether to make an approach for the 24-year-old as their "emergency signing", with cover needed for the currently injured Guglielmo Vicario.

Ideally, this signing would need to be happy as a reserve, and with Patterson only in the Championship at this stage, he may be willing to bide his time at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium before potentially competing for a starting place.

Spurs, who are a big Premier League team, may have the resources to get this deal over the line, considering they have a higher amount of spending power than some of their league rivals.

But the Wearside outfit are keen to have Patterson in the top flight with them - and that could make it difficult for the North London outfit to secure a January agreement for the talented shot-stopper.

The Black Cats have shown a willingness to cash in on key players under current owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus though, with Jack Clarke leaving permanently in the summer.

This, combined with the level of interest there has been in Patterson this term, with Manchester United and Liverpool also being linked with a move for the keeper, will make fans nervous about the 24-year-old's future when the January transfer window opens.

Sunderland AFC should take key Anthony Patterson stance

The Black Cats may have gone winless in their last six games, drawing five of these matches, but their very strong start to the season means they remain firmly in the promotion mix at this stage.

They currently sit three points behind Burnley, who are in second, and that just goes to show that they are still in with a good chance of competing for promotion at the end of the season.

Regis Le Bris' side are probably outsiders for a top-two spot, considering the quality of some of their league rivals, but there's every chance they could secure a top-six finish, having done so at the end of the 2022/23 campaign under Tony Mowbray.

With this in mind, Le Bris and the Black Cats' board must focus on retaining their key players, including Patterson, Jobe Bellingham and Chris Rigg.

It could be particularly difficult for the club to replace their goalkeeper in January - and it could derail their promotion push if the January addition doesn't perform well between the sticks.

Keeping Patterson, therefore, could be particularly important and with his contract not running out until 2028, there's no rush to cash in on him at this point.

The fact they sold Clarke in the summer should also mean they don't need to cash in on a player in January to continue abiding by financial rules.

And that should put the Wearside outfit in a good position to retain the stopper beyond the end of the upcoming window.

Anthony Patterson should be looking to stay at Sunderland AFC

At this stage of his career, at a time when he's still developing, the 24-year-old needs to prioritise game time over anything else at this point.

If he's to move to a Premier League side, he should be looking to move there as a starter, and he probably won't have the chance to start regularly at Spurs.

He could potentially become number one at some point, but being on the bench in the short term could be a setback for his development and that's the last thing he needs.

Patterson has progressed well at his current club in recent years and his development will continue if he continues to start regularly.