Sunderland AFC pipped Ipswich Town to “talent” but hype has not been matched yet | OneFootball

The midfielder has had three League One loan spells since joining Sunderland.

In February 2022, League One Sunderland pipped Ipswich Town to the signing of Jay Matete, with director of football Kristjaan Speakman claiming he had "outstanding potential".

On initial evidence, it appeared that Speakman was spot on, with the then-20-year-old delivering some slick performances in the hub of the Black Cats' midfield as the club clinched promotion via the play-offs.

However, after a serious injury and a series of League One loan spells, Matete is yet to live up to the hype, meaning the Tractor Boys will not fret about missing out on his services.

Kieran McKenna played down Matete bid

The battle for Matete was one that went to the wire, with the Lambeth-born man joining Sunderland on deadline day despite having held discussions with the Tractor Boys.

Speaking about the deal, Town boss Kieran McKenna admitted there was interest in the player's services but denied a bid was ever put in.

McKenna said: "He's a player we were aware of and had spoken about - obviously he'd played against Ipswich earlier in the season.

"At this time we thought that we had good cover and good options in those positions. After Tyreeq (Bakinson) came in on loan we didn't feel it was a position we needed another body in."

Whether Ipswich's head coach was bluffing is unknown but he did show faith in Bakinson, who was a linchpin in the side for the remainder of the season.

The East Anglian club may have been disappointed to lose out at the time but given their stratospheric rise since and Mateta's struggles on Wearside, any regret will have quickly evaporated.

Kristjaan Speakman praised Sunderland's Jay Matete acquisition

When Matete arrived from Fleetwood Town, there was cause to be excited given the player's form and the significant praise given by Speakman.

On signing Matete, Speakman said: "He is a highly sought-after talent and throughout the season he has attracted admirers from the Premier League and the Championship, which not only highlights the level of his performances but also his outstanding potential.

"We believe that we have the optimal environment in place to maximise his ability, and we look forward to supporting him in his development, as he takes the next step in his career.”

Given that Ipswich had also held discussions with the central midfielder, it seemed the Black Cats had pulled off an astute piece of business by pipping their League One rivals to his signature.

Jay Matete has become a League One lucky charm

While Matete played a significant role in the Black Cats' promotion from League One, he failed to make an impact in the Championship and only featured eight times in the first half of the campaign.

As a result of his lack of playing time, he was loaned out to League One Plymouth Argyle in January.

Speakman spoke about the deal and said: "He’s worked tirelessly during the current campaign but found limited opportunities, so it’s only right for his development that we seek an option to get him more playing time in the right environment."

Matete must have had a sense of déjà vu come the end of the season, as it culminated with the Pilgrims achieving promotion to the second tier, but as happened with Sunderland, his minutes declined towards the end of the campaign.

After securing another League One loan spell, this time with Oxford United, the midfielder endured the biggest setback to his career after undergoing knee surgery, which ended his loan after just six appearances. Ironically, the U's ended up securing promotion to the Championship.

This season has seen Matete embark on his third loan spell since joining the Wearsiders, with the 24-year-old reuniting with Steven Schumacher for a second time, having played under the manager at Argyle.

If he can lead Bolton Wanderers to promotion, then Matete should be considered a lucky charm as it would be the fourth club he has played for to have achieved promotion.

Jay Matete unlikely to fulfill his full potential at Sunderland

Unfortunately for Matete and Sunderland, it feels like he will never live up to the hype handed out by Speakman upon his arrival at the Stadium of Light.

While it appeared that the 24-year-old was set to play a starring role in the club's ascent through the divisions, the head coaches that have come and gone must have seen something to doubt his ability.

Of course, given his age, Matete still has time to improve and show that he is playing at a higher level than League One, but on current evidence, it feels like the third tier is his level.