Sunderland AFC appear to have dodged bullet on Cardiff City evidence | OneFootball

Sunderland's summer target has endured a forgettable season so far.

Sunderland were heavily linked with a move for Roko Simic last summer.

Reports claimed he even travelled to England for a medical but news of the Croatian's proposed move generated excitement on Wearside, but it never materialised, with the striker moving to Cardiff City instead for a reported £1.7m.

With over half the season gone, the 21-year-old has failed to make an impact at the Cardiff City Stadium, meaning the Black Cats dodged a bullet.

Roko Simic has endured an underwhelming season so far

When Cardiff signed Simic, they immediately loaned him out to Belgian outfit KV Kortrijk for the remainder of the season, with his development to be 'closely monitored by club staff'.

However, the forward's loan spell could not have gone any worse, with the player making four appearances, totalling 143 minutes, before being recalled by the Bluebirds.

Since his return to Wales, Simic has failed to make an appearance and manager Omer Riza has hinted that it will be some time before supporters see him don the blue of Cardiff.

He said: "He is a good lad, works his socks off, wants to do well, but you've got to be better than the players in your position to get in front of them. At the moment, Roko's not.

"If you look at his finishing, he doesn't finish like some of our players can. If you look at his hold-up, he can't hold up like other players can. He is a willing runner, but we've got willing runners.

"Look, he is here and part of the squad, working hard. But for me, he is a long way off starting."

Sunderland's Roko Simic decision justified

While Sunderland may have felt they missed out on signing Simic last summer, they secured one of the deals of the window by landing Wilson Isidor on loan.

Isidor's stint on Wearside has been the polar opposite to Simic's in Wales, with the Frenchman bagging 12 Championship goals and even clinching a permanent deal at the Stadium of Light.

Of course, Simic is still young and may well end up being a good signing in the future, but the Black Cats needed a player who could make an immediate impact.

Isidor currently ranks as the joint third-highest scorer in the second tier, behind only Borja Sainz and Joel Piroe, and his statistics make for excellent reading.

The 24-year-old ranks in the top 98 percentile in the division for expected goals (xG), with 12.69, while he ranks in the top 97 percentile for shots on target.

Despite only just securing his long-term future at Sunderland, his performances have caught the attention of Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace, who were impressed with his performance against Leeds United.

As has happened with several of the Black Cats' recent transfer targets, Simic has struggled to make an impact after moving to a rival club.

While a move to the Stadium of Light might have generated a different narrative, it feels unlikely after Riza's honest assessment of his current ability.