Sunderland were left bitterly disappointed by multi-million-pound July 9th signing: View | OneFootball

One striker's time at the Stadium of Light did not work out

The 2013 summer transfer was undoubtedly an important one for those at Sunderland.

Having finished the previous campaign 17th in the Premier League table, just three points clear of the relegation zone.

As a result, there looked to be a need for the Black Cats to strengthen their squad in that subsequent market, in order to pull further clear of the bottom three.

It was therefore, no huge surprise to see a string of new additions made to the squad in that period.

One of those who would make the move to Sunderland at that point for a significant fee, was striker Jozy Altidore.

Sunderland spent big on Jozy Altidore

Goals had been a big problem for the Black Cats in the season before they signed Altidore in the summer of 2013.

That campaign had seen the club find the net just 41 times in the Premier League. Only the side who finished bottom of the table that season, QPR, would find the net less frequently (30).

The signing of a striker such as Altidore will therefore have been a welcome one for those of a Sunderland persuasion.

Indeed, the American international arrived at The Stadium of Light with an encouraging record.

He signed for Sunderland having scored 51 goals in just 93 appearances in all competitions for Dutch top-flight side AZ Alkmaar in the previous two seasons.

Announced on the 9th July 2013, it was later reported that the Black Cats paid a fee of £9million for his services.

Ultimately though, this was not a deal that ended up paying off for Sunderland, when it came to his impact on the pitch.

Jozy Altidore struggled to make an impact for the Black Cats

When looking back in the years since his move to the Stadium of Light, Altidore has admitted that the timing of the move did not feel right for him, and that he had also spoken to "better" clubs.

Even so, he would eventually make that switch to the Black Cats due to the "concrete" nature of what they were offering him, despite some advising him not to.

In the end, that sense Altidore had that this was not the right move when he first made it, would be proven correct.

The American's debut campaign was a frustrating one, as he never fully established himself in the starting lineup for Sunderland.

During the 2013/14 campaign, the striker made 31 Premier League appearances, 19 of which were as a starter.

Even while he was in and out of the side, a return of just one goal in those matches will have been underwhelming for any striker, particularly one who had been producing the sort of number Altidore had in the Netherlands immediately prior to this move.

Indeed, with the striker unable to fire as many would have hoped, that season turned out to be another where Sunderland found themselves fighting to avoid relegation, with only a late flourish salvaging their top-flight status.

If Altidore and the club were hoping for something different in the following campaign, they didn't get it either.

The Black Cats again narrowly avoided relegation during the 2014/15 season, when they finished 16th, just three points clear of the bottom three.

By that point though, Altidore had already departed, after another difficult first half of the season.

After failing to score in 11 Premier League appearances - only two of which were as a starter - at the start of the campaign, the striker was allowed to leave in the January transfer window.

His exit saw him return to MLS, where he signed for Toronto FC, with Jermain Defoe moving in the opposite direction.

Indeed, some reports claimed that as well as sending Altidore to the club, Sunderland also paid a "significant" fee to secure the signing of Defoe as part of the same deal.

Consequently, having paid a big fee to sign him, and then seen very little return on that investment on the pitch, the Black Cats then seemingly had to make some financial contribution to moving him on as well.

This is therefore a deal that failed to work out on the pitch, and cost the club from a financial perspective off it as well.

Indeed, perhaps the only consolation is that it did at least help them to secure the services of Defoe, who would prove to be an excellent signing in every sense during his time at The Stadium of Light.