"Could end up flopping" - Sunderland warned over Tom Cannon pursuit as £5m offer tabled | OneFootball

Tom Cannon has had a £7 million price-tag slapped on him, but is yet to show why he deserves it, the Black Cats should sign Alex Mendy instead.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Tom Cannon has been linked with several Championship clubs this summer, and the interest has not wavered since Leicester City made the 21-year-old available for a permanent transfer.

The former Preston North End loanee has had a £7 million price-tag placed on him, as per Alan Nixon via Patreon, with both Sheffield United and Stoke City looking at ways to bring him to the second tier.

However, with the Blades still waiting for their takeover to be finalised, and the Potters exploring ways to raise funds to finance a deal, other clus could come to the table, with Nixon revealing that the Black Cats were also showing interest too.

And on Monday evening, John Percy of The Telegraph revealed that Sunderland had made a £5 million offer to the Foxes for Cannon's services, with no news on whether that will be accepted or not - but given the reported price-tag, they may need to increase their bid.

Regis Le Bris' side have recently sold Jack Clarke to Ipswich Town for £15 million, with an extra £5 million in add-ons potentially to come, and could use some of that money to sanction a purchase if Cannon is an actual target for them.

But, with Cannon's lack of experience, there is a debate to be had about whether or not he is worth the high price, with Sunderland still interested in Caen hitman Alexandre Mendy, according to the Northern Echo.

£7m Tom Cannon valuation scoffed at with Sunderland warned over pursuit

After coming through the Everton academy, Cannon had an excellent second half of the season on loan at Preston in 2022/23, scoring eight goals in 20 appearances in his first stint as a senior first-team player.

His performances earned him a move to Leicester from Everton, but he spent 2023/24 as a back-up to Jamie Vardy in the Championship, and featured in just 13 games in the league.

FLW'sSunderland Fan Pundit, Eddy Bamber, has been shocked by the price-tag, and would be disappointed if Le Bris brought Cannon in permanently before the window shuts, and would rather see the Black Cats hierarchy focus their efforts on getting a deal for the aforementioned Mendy over the line.

"I don't see where his £7 million valuation comes from - he only made 13 league appearances last season," Eddy told Football League World.

"I'll be happy enough to take him on loan though, with an option to buy.

"That way we can see how he fits into the squad and reassess, but I wouldn't want to be risking £7 million up front on a player who could end up flopping.

"Mendy will probably be cheaper, he's more experienced, and he has more career goals.

"So I would prioritise getting him in before the window closes over Tom Cannon."

Sunderland should push for Alexandre Mendy deal over getting involved in Tom Cannon battle

Despite being nine years Cannon's senior, Mendy looks to be a better option for Sunderland in the remaining week of the transfer window.

His goalscoring record is much better than the Leicester striker's (granted he has a lot more experience), and he has made it clear that he is extremely keen to move to the Stadium of Light.

The 30-year-old has scored 57 goals in his last three Ligue 2 seasons for SM Caen, and missed just eight league games during that time.

His consistency, with both scoring and his fitness, puts him ahead in the pecking order for Eddy, and Mendy should be Le Bris' number one choice before the window slams shut on August 30 - even though they are now well and truly involved in the battle for Cannon.