Sunderland AFC exit can pave the way for marquee Leicester City agreement | OneFootball

The departure of Aaron Connolly should open the door for the arrival of Tom Cannon.

Sunderland have already made one statement of intent during this transfer window, and could be set to make another one if reports on Tom Cannon come to fruition.

Enzo Le Fee arrived from AS Roma, having secured a loan move until the end of the season. Significantly, the Black Cats hold an obligation to buy the midfielder for £16m if they secure promotion.

In recent days, Aaron Connolly has been linked with a move away from the club, which could pave the way for Cannon to move to Wearside from Leicester City.

If the 22-year-old chooses to move to the North East, then it will be a serious upgrade for Regis Le Bris' side and one which would boost their promotion aspirations.

News of Cannon's future has dominated headlines, and it remains unclear where the striker will be playing his football for the remainder of the season, having been recalled from his loan by Leicester City.

The Republic of Ireland international had been enjoying a loan spell at Stoke City, where he bagged nine goals in 22 Championship appearances.

Cannon returned to Leicester so that they could sanction a permanent deal for his departure, with Sunderland and Sheffield United reported to have made bids of £13m, according to Alan Nixon.

The latest news is that Burnley and Everton have also entered the race to sign the forward, with bids on the table of around £10m, as per Sami Mokbel of The Daily Mail.

If reports are true, then Cannon will have the final say on his destination, with the Foxes reportedly set to accept bids from the Black Cats and the Blades.

Cannon would be an upgrade on Connolly for Sunderland

The news of Connolly's imminent departure seemingly signalled Sunderland's intention to delve into the market for another forward and that is exactly what has transpired.

Connolly has been linked with a move to Millwall, as per the Roker Report, and Le Bris confirmed he will likely leave this month. The 24-year-old's only goal of the season came against the Lions at The Den.

The Irishman has struggled for form since moving to Wearside and is behind Wilson Isidor and Eliezer Mayenda in the pecking order, meaning he is no longer required.

When comparing Connolly's record to that of Cannon's, it appears that Sunderland would be making a significant upgrade, considering Cannon has nine goals for Stoke.

Although Cannon has only scored one more Championship goal than Isidor, his overall statistics are impressive, and he could thrive in Le Bris' lethal attack.

The former Stoke man ranks highly in the league on a range of statistics and, significantly, is in the top 99 percentile for shots on target and the top 97 percentile for expected goals (xG).

While there is not much to choose between Cannon and Isidor in terms of goals, the potential option for playing both is one which would strike fear into any second tier defence.

The only sticking point is the reported fee of around £10m, which seems quite steep, but when you factor in Cannon's age and potential, it feels like a promising deal.

While nothing is certain about Cannon's future, it looks likely he will be joining up with a Championship promotion contender, with Sunderland, Sheffield United and Burnley battling it out for his signature.

Although the Black Cats already have some quality options up front, the addition of Cannon would surely boost their Premier League ambitions and scupper their rivals' hopes.

If the Wearsiders can get the deal over the line, then it will be another bold statement by Kyril Louis-Dreyus, who's eyes are fixed on the top flight.