"Probably rules out Sunderland" - New Ipswich Town, Omari Hutchinson exit claim emerges | OneFootball

FLW's Ipswich fan pundit has given his verdict on Sunderland potentially signing Omari Hutchinson this summer

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…

Gabriel Agbonlahor recently suggested that Sunderland should look to sign Ipswich Town winger Omari Hutchinson this summer.

Speaking on talkSPORT, the former Aston Villa forward claimed that the Black Cats will need to find reinforcements in the transfer market in order to survive in the Premier League.

The 38-year-old named Hutchinson as the kind of signing they should be scouting for in a bid to improve Régis Le Bris’ squad.

The Wearside outfit have already completed the permanent signing of Enzo Le Fee for a reported £20 million, but it’s unlikely their summer spending will finish just there.

Omari Hutchinson’s £35 million issue

When asked if Hutchinson could be a good signing for Sunderland, or if he should stay at Portman Road, FLW’s Ipswich fan pundit Adam Wilkin cited the player’s reported £35 million release clause as a potential stumbling block to any move this summer.

He is unsure whether the Black Cats would be willing to spend that much on a single player, so he believes that will prevent a deal even if the player could be a good fit for Le Bris’ side.

"There was interest in Omari Hutchinson earlier in the window when it was reported he had a £35 million release clause," Wilkin told Football League World.

"And I think he does fit Sunderland’s young players developing, but I think for a newly promoted side £35 million is a lot of money to spend on one player, in terms of financial fair play.

"When we got promoted last season, he was our record signing, along with Liam Delap. They both cost approximately £20 million each.

"To then spend an extra £15 million, that’s a whole extra player you could possibly buy, on top of that signing.

"That probably rules out Sunderland as a realistic location to go, and I don’t think there’s much interest from any other teams.

“So I think it would be a good fit, but I can’t the deal happening.

"I think from a personal perspective as well, he’s still fairly young, he’s still got growth to go, I think another season in the Championship where he’s playing regularly will do him the world of good."

Hutchinson departure would be a blow

Wilkin admitted that Hutchinson leaving would be a blow, despite the numerous attacking options in Kieran McKenna’s side, but that he expects the winger to stay.

"If he were to leave, he would be a big miss, but we do have a lot of attacking options in those front three positions at the moment," he added.

"So, he is a unique profile there, so he would be missed, but we could fill that gap if we needed to with players already in the squad.

"But I can’t see him moving on this summer."

Ipswich suffered relegation from the Premier League last season, coming 19th in the table.

Hutchinson could be key to Ipswich promotion push

Hutchinson performed well and had some real stand-out moments in the Premier League last season, including goals in a 1-1 draw with Manchester United and a 2-0 win over Chelsea.

However, paying £35 million for him would be a reckless way for Sunderland to spend their money after gaining promotion.

It’s difficult to see anyone willing to pay that kind of figure to sign him this summer, so another year at Portman Road might be what he needs at this stage of his career.

If he can play a key role in helping Ipswich gain promotion back to the Premier League, then he might be ready for another crack at the top flight.