Sunderland are heading into a thrilling conclusion to their season, with a place in the Championship play-offs already secured. They’ve consistently occupied fourth place for much of the campaign, and although automatic promotion has remained just out of reach for Regis Le Bris and his squad, their performance has still been impressive. One persistent issue, however, has been the absence of a consistent goal-scorer—something that may have prevented them from climbing even higher up the table.
| Championship table (as it stands 13th April) | ||||
| Team | P | GD | Pts | |
| 1 | Leeds United | 42 | 53 | 88 |
| 2 | Burnley | 42 | 44 | 88 |
| 3 | Sheffield United | 42 | 24 | 83 |
| 4 | Sunderland | 42 | 19 | 76 |
| 5 | Bristol City | 42 | 9 | 64 |
| 6 | Coventry City | 41 | 5 | 62 |
| 7 | West Brom | 42 | 12 | 60 |
| 8 | Middlesbrough | 42 | 10 | 60 |
The departure of Ross Stewart has left a noticeable void in Sunderland’s attacking line. During his time at the club, Stewart netted 40 goals and provided eight assists across 80 appearances before his £10 million move to Southampton in the summer of 2023. Despite his strong record, the end of his Sunderland tenure was marred by injury troubles, which have unfortunately followed him to the South Coast. Since joining the Saints, the 28-year-old striker has managed just 11 appearances in nearly two seasons and is still without a goal for his new club.
Recently, Stewart has made brief substitute appearances in Southampton’s last two Premier League games—his first involvement in over six months due to a hamstring injury. However, his long-term future at the club remains uncertain, especially with Southampton’s relegation now confirmed.
Amid speculation about a possible return to Sunderland, fan pundit Jordan Newcombe has urged the club to steer clear of re-signing Stewart. When asked whether he’d welcome the striker back, Newcombe was firm in his stance that Sunderland should move forward rather than revisit the past. He acknowledged Stewart’s contributions—particularly his memorable goal at Wembley during their promotion campaign—but pointed to the player’s recurring injury issues as a major concern.
Newcombe also criticized the way Stewart handled his contract situation before leaving, suggesting that had he truly wanted to stay, he would have committed earlier. For him, Stewart is now too unreliable physically and would represent more risk than reward, potentially becoming another injury-prone signing who struggles to stay fit even in training or pre-season. While he appreciated Stewart’s impact during his previous spell, Newcombe emphasized the importance of bringing in a fresh, dependable striker—especially with Sunderland aiming for Premier League football.
Though Stewart remains a proven Championship-level striker when healthy—highlighted by his 10 goals in just 13 league appearances during the 2022–23 season—his strained exit from Sunderland and ongoing fitness problems make a return to Wearside unlikely. Even if Southampton make him available this summer, it seems improbable that the Black Cats would entertain the idea of a reunion. For Southampton, the question remains whether to persevere with Stewart in hopes of a revival next season, or to offload him and start afresh as they target an immediate bounce back to the Premier League.
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