Sunderland enjoyed a terrific first season back at Championship level last term as they reached the play-off semi-finals against Luton Town.
The Black Cats lost to Rob Edwards' side, who went on to win promotion to the Premier League with a victory over Coventry at Wembley, but it was still an excellent year for manager Tony Mowbray, given that the team was in League One during the previous campaign.
It was an impressive achievement for the club as they made their way into the top six in spite of their issues at the top end of the pitch.
Sunderland transfer news – Sydney van Hooijdonk
Ross Stewart missed 36 competitive matches through injury and Premier League side Everton recalled loanee centre-forward Ellis Simms in January.
Kristjaan Speakman and Mowbray swooped to sign Joe Gelhardt on loan from Leeds United but the young attacker failed to deliver a consistent threat as he produced three goals in 20 Championship appearances, four fewer than Simms managed in 17 games.
The Sunderland head coach could now finally replace the former Toffees striker by signing reported transfer target Sydney van Hooijdonk from Bologna.
How many goals did Sydney van Hooijdonk score last season?
He was sent on loan to Heerenveen in his home country last term and caught the eye with an impressive return of 16 goals in 30 Eredivisie starts.
The 23-year-old marksman averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.99 for the Dutch outfit, which would have placed him fourth within the Black Cats squad last term – behind Jack Clarke, Simms, and Stewart.
His 16-goal haul is also more than any of Mowbray's players managed in the Championship, as Amad Diallo was the club's top-scorer with 14 strikes.
The 6 foot 3 monster made his senior breakthrough with NAC Breda after an incredible 42 goals in 57 outings at youth level for the club. During the 2020/21 campaign, van Hooijdonk scored 15 times in 28 appearances in the Dutch second tier, which earned him a move to Bologna in Italy.
Zero goals in five matches for the Serie A team shows that the towering dynamo is yet to prove himself in a major European league but his form on loan at Heerenveen proves that the potential is there for him to be a reliable goalscorer.
Talent scout Jacek Kulig once described the young finisher as "prolific" and the Sunderland target's statistics in the Netherlands really do back up that claim.
Therefore, van Hooijdonk could finally replace Simms at the Stadium of Light as the quality is there for him to be a superb scorer under Mowbray.
The now-Coventry City ace scored seven goals in 14 league starts – once every other start – while on Wearside last season and proved himself to be capable of being a reliable centre-forward alongside Stewart.
Sunderland could now find another no.9 capable of finding the back of the net on a regular basis by landing the talented youngster from Bologna, who scored just over once every other Eredivisie start during the 2022/23 campaign, to bolster their forward options.
The Gelhardt deal did not work out earlier this year but Mowbray and Speakman can put things right by snapping up a player with the ability to fire the club back to the play-offs, or higher, again over the next nine months.