Mundle upgrade: Sunderland should regret letting go of this “dangerous” gem who is a Premier League standout.

This former Sunderland player would significantly outperform Romaine Mundle, the recent addition to the Black Cats.

Now, with six straight losses in the second division, Sunderland is staring fearfully at the Championship relegation zone. It’s unbelievable that the Black Cats are only nine points above the dreaded bottom three.

For a while, the Wearside team’s primary objective was to get promoted to the Premier League. Now, the most pressing goal could merely be to stop the rot and restore stability to the building before they fall any lower in the league rankings.

The January additions haven’t exactly burst into life to lift Mike Dodds’ team morale. Romaine Mundle’s goal against Southampton last time out was his first for Sunderland, which made the Black Cats supporters smile despite the former Tottenham Hotspur youth player’s otherwise lacklustre start.

To improve the atmosphere, Sunderland would love to go back in time and bring back one past loanee. The former Black Cats attacker in question is currently playing in the Premier League down the right wing, where Mundle has lined up for his new squad.

The tenure of Antoine Semenyo at Sunderland
Given how little of an impact the current AFC Bournemouth attacker had on those present at the Stadium of Light back in 2020 and what he has accomplished since the temporary move, Antoine Semenyo’s brief loan time at Sunderland has been mostly forgotten.

Even so, the now 24-year-old winger was highly regarded by former Sunderland boss Phil Parkinson during his brief tenure, despite only managing to play 184 minutes for the Wearside team at the time.

Semenyo was a “dangerous” presence for Parkinson’s League One Black Cats club when he came off the bench, but the youthful loanee was never truly able to take the spot of more seasoned and dependable top players like Charlie Wyke and Chris Maguire.

The Ghanaian international made just seven games for the Wearside giants before leaving empty-handed. He never really got going there.

Nevertheless, Semenyo would grow from strength to strength following this return at his parent club, despite this lacklustre loan stay so early in his career.

The Wearside outfit must now watch on knowing the peaks Semenyo has managed to reach and wonder if they could have used the Cherries star more effectively at the Stadium of Light. Even the most optimistic Sunderland supporter could not have predicted that Semenyo would go on to have a career in the Premier League after failing to break into the Black Cats’ first team.

The statistics of Antoine Semenyo after leaving Sunderland
Semenyo would eventually blossom into an inventive, goal-scoring threat back at Ashton Gate, rewarding Bristol City for holding onto their once-promising Academy prospect until he repaid their steadfast faith with outstanding performances.

After previously drifting in and out of games, Semenyo had a breakout season in 2021–2022, recording eight goals and 12 assists from 31 appearances. As a result, he became an important member of the Robins squad that season.

After such an impressive performance, he would even be called up to the Ghanaian squad, and higher-up suitors were quick to show interest.

Bristol City knew they would need to make a big offer to get rid of their star player, so when Bournemouth, a top-tier team, put up £9 million to try to convince the Robins to let go of their breakout winger, the lower-tier team was forced to accept.

Even yet, based on the above statistics, Semenyo doesn’t quite make it into Bristol City’s top five record exits, despite the club managing to secure a good £9 million.

Considering how easily the Cherries winger has adapted to life in the top tier, his departure will hurt even more given how many goals he has already scored this season in such a difficult and competitive division.

Sunderland will want to avoid writing off Mundle too quickly, as they did with Semenyo when he was on loan from Bournemouth. The number 24 from Bournemouth recently shone as Andoni Iraola’s team defeated Burnley 2-0 on the road.

After breaking his duck against Russell Martin’s Saints, Mundle will be hoping to adapt to his new environment better. The Black Cats are in dire need of an attacking force like Semenyo right now to put a stop to their terrible losing streak.

The hardships Romaine Mundle faced at Sunderland
At St. Mary’s, Mundle did show flashes of brilliance. His deflected strike caught Gavin Bazunu off guard, and the former Standard Liege player won four duels overall in an attempt to thwart a Southampton comeback.

However, Sunderland needs a productive striker, particularly with Jack Clarke recovering at the Stadium of Light. To make an even bigger impression, Mundle will need to demonstrate his drive and willingness to score goals consistently away from this one-time match against the Saints.

The 20-year-old has only averaged 46 minutes a game in a Sunderland strip thus far, which hasn’t helped him fully acclimatise. He has struggled to get consistent first-team minutes away from this game.

The stuttering Wearside team will have to wait and hope that Mundle, along with the rest of their young roster, may develop into a hero for the team over time.

Given that Semenyo was once written off as an unimpressive winger while on loan and has now developed into a devastatingly effective attacker for Bournemouth in the top flight, they will be concerned that history may repeat itself.

FOR MORE NEWS CLICK HERE