The name Haissem Hassan might not mean a whole lot to Sunderland AFC fans right now, but it could do in the future.
That’s because L’Equipe reveal on Wednesday that the Black Cats are among many clubs in Europe taking an interest in the Villarreal winger.
Previously playing for their B team on a regular basis, the Sunderland target is an interesting profile for many teams, mostly because of data.
The newspaper explain why, as it’s stated the 21-year-old had one of the ‘biggest percentages of successful dribbles’ in Europe last season, while he was on loan at CD Mirandés.
Sunderland have already come forward to ‘gather information’, and are named alongside many other clubs, including Brentford, Anderlecht and Udinese, as clubs interested in signing him
He has a contract with Villarreal until 2024, but, aware of the interest, the Spanish side are starting to pay him more attention, recently adding him to their first-team in training after giving him his first minutes on the pitch back in February 18th.
Seen as the successor to Samuel Chukwueze, who could be sold in a heartbeat if the right offer comes along, Hassan wants to take his time before making a decision about his future, and will do so ‘at the end of the season’.
That means Sunderland have some time to put a strategy together, as they could look to repeat a deal similar to the one they struck for Edouard Michut, who has impressed of late for the Black Cats.
