“Talented and intelligent” – Carlton Palmer reacts as Sunderland sign 24-year-old
Sunderland signed striker Nazariy Rusyn from Zorya Luhansk on deadline day.
Nazariy Rusyn’s impressive goal-scoring record in Ukraine suggests he could be an exciting addition for Sunderland in the Championship.
Despite the loss of Ross Stewart, Sunderland still have a creative team that can provide chances for Rusyn to shine.
The signing of Rusyn aligns with Sunderland’s strategy of signing young and promising players, and if he performs as he did at Zorya Luhansk, he could be a suitable replacement for Stewart.
Pundit Carlton Palmer believes striker Nazariy Rusyn will be a good signing for Sunderland after he completed a deadline day move from Zorya Luhansk.
Rusyn enjoyed a prolific spell with the Ukranian outfit, scoring 21 goals and providing 10 assists in 49 appearances, with his form earning him his first call up to the senior Ukraine squad in May.
The 24-year-old has put pen-to-paper on a four-year contract at the Stadium of Light, with the Black Cats having the option to extend for a further year and Sporting Director Kristjaan Speakman was delighted to get the deal over the line.
“Nazariy is a player that we’ve been tracking for some time and following a complex process that has unfolded throughout the summer, we are delighted to have concluded an agreement to bring him to the Club,” Speakman told the club’s official website.
“He’s a dynamic and intelligent forward, who likes to exploit space, and he has consistently impacted a senior environment by contributing goals and assists.
We look forward to supporting Nazariy as he adapts to life in a new environment, and we are excited to welcome him to the Stadium of Light.”
The Black Cats will be hoping that Rusyn can help to replace the goals of star striker Ross Stewart, who departed to join Southampton for a fee of £10 million on deadline day.
It was a busy final day of the transfer window for Sunderland, with Rusyn, Mason Burstow, Timothée Pembélé and Adil Aouchiche all arriving at the Stadium of Light.
Tony Mowbray’s side currently sit ninth in the Championship table and they extended their unbeaten run to three games with a comprehensive 5-0 home win over Southampton on Saturday.
What did Carlton Palmer say?
Speaking exclusively to Football League World, Palmer revealed that he believes Rusyn could prove to be a shrewd addition for Sunderland.
“Sunderland have signed Ukranian centre-forward Nazariy Rusyn,” Palmer said.
“Last season he scored 21 goals and registered 10 assists in 49 appearances for Zorha Luhansk, which saw him receive a senior call-up to the Ukraine squad.
“He’s young at 24, someone Sunderland have been pursuing for a while, a very talented and intelligent forward.
“Hopefully he can adjust quickly to life in the Championship and provide some much-needed firepower for Sunderland.”
Is Nazariy Rusyn a good signing for Sunderland?
Rusyn is an intriguing addition for the Black Cats.
There is no doubt he is a player with a lot of potential and his goalscoring record in Ukraine is impressive, so he could be an exciting signing if he can adapt to the Championship.
It was a huge blow for Sunderland to lose Stewart, but as they showed against Southampton on Saturday, they still have plenty of creativity in the team and Rusyn should certainly be provided with chances by the likes of Patrick Roberts, Jack Clarke, Jobe Bellingham, Alex Pritchard and Abdoullah Ba.
The signing of Rusyn fits in with the Black Cats’ policy of signing young, up-and-coming players and while it is a gamble to rely on a striker who is unproven in the second tier, if he can replicate the form he displayed at Zorya Luhansk, he could be the perfect replacement for Stewart.
