Sunderland AFC set to deal big Salford City transfer blow - one thing must happen | OneFootball

Anthony Patterson's potential Stadium of Light exit means Matty Young's spell with the Ammies could be over.

Sunderland look set to recall Matty Young from Salford City should Anthony Patterson secure a loan move away from the Stadium of Light in January.

Young is currently on his second season-long loan at the Ammies, and has become an integral part of Karl Robinson's League Two side, playing 14 times in the fourth tier so far this campaign.

In 24/25, the 18-year-old made 27 appearances for the Greater Manchester outfit across all competitions as he made the number one spot his own part way through the season.

Patterson's potential departure would perhaps trigger an immediate return for the shot-stopper, disrupting a loan arrangement that has proven mutually beneficial for both Sunderland and Salford.

Anthony Patterson's Sunderland departure could force early Matty Young recall from Salford City

Patterson has found himself displaced in the pecking order at Sunderland, despite, like Young, being a product of the Black Cats' academy and a key part of their promotion campaign last season, making 45 appearances in the Championship.

Robin Roefs has become the preferred choice under manager Regis Le Bris, and now journalist Alan Nixon has reported via his Patreon that Patterson could move on loan back to the second tier in January, which in turn means Matty Young would get recalled to the Stadium of Light.

Given that the Mackems have the likes of Simon Moore and Blondy Nna Noukeu respectively, Sunderland won’t really be left dangerously short of experienced cover should they lose Patterson though.

But Young is perhaps the obvious solution to their long-term goalkeeper situation, so the Premier League club might want to bring the teenager back to the Stadium of Light anyway.

Matty Young's impressive loan spell at Salford City

Young's loan spell at Salford has been nothing short of impressive.

As mentioned earlier, the teenager has already established himself as a key player for Robinson's promotion-chasing side.

In truth, the young goalkeeper's stock has risen considerably in recent months. He was included in the England Under-21 squad in late August, signalling that the national setup is monitoring his progress with the Ammies closely.

Young has already saved four of the seven penalties he has faced this season, including one against Gillingham that earned him man-of-the-match.

Robinson and Salford City have clearly valued Young's presence too. The Ammies' decision to bring him back for a second consecutive loan spell reflects their confidence in his ability and their desire to keep hold of a goalkeeper who has become central to their League Two squad.

As for Patterson, well the 25-year-old has featured just once for the Black Cats this season, which came in the Carabao Cup against Huddersfield Town in August. So a loan exit would be a sensible solution to his playing needs.

For Young, however, any recall would represent an enormous opportunity masked by frustration. The chance to establish himself in Premier League football would normally be considered a significant step up, yet the timing of it might be too early.

You might argue that the ideal scenario for all parties involved would be for Patterson to secure his loan move and Young to continue his development at Salford, but football is rarely that convenient.

The coming months will prove decisive in determining whether the Black Cats are going to reshuffle their goalkeeping arrangements, as Nixon reported.