Michael Beale's first task as new Sunderland head coach will be steering his side to a win over Coventry City this coming Saturday, responding immediately to a setback on the road at Bristol City last match in a slim 1-0 defeat.
The 43-year-old's appointment to the Black Cats hot-seat has divided opinion amongst the hardened Stadium of Light fanbase, an underwhelming change from Tony Mowbray with Beale's reputation in the game bruised at Rangers in his last job post – the divisive figure at Ibrox axed after a 3-1 loss to Aberdeen.
Yet, Beale could win fans over by signing this rumoured target in January who could finally be the potent striker Sunderland desire after Ross Stewart's departure in the summer.
Sunderland transfer latest – striker hunt for Beale
Sunderland are reportedly interested in bringing Japanese sensation Mao Hosoya to England, according to an exclusive from Sunderland Nation.
The J1 League striker has come onto the radar of the Black Cats after a breakthrough season playing for Kashiwa Reysol, leading to the 21-year-old even being called up to the Japan senior side.
The Tyne and Wear-based club will hope recruiting from an unfamiliar league again can pay off in the same way it did when the Championship club gambled on signing Ross Stewart from Ross County, the Scottish striker taking to the second tier like a duck to water when making the leap.
The stats that show why Mao Hosoya would be a good fit for Sunderland
It's fair to say Sunderland are in dire need of a Stewart replacement, the Black Cats unable to ever fill the void left behind their talisman when he joined divisional rivals Southampton for around £10m.
None of the strikers left at the Stadium of Light have a goal this season, with Nazariy Rusyn, Mason Burstow, Elezier Mayenda and Luis Semedo all toothless in front of goal for the promotion hopefuls.
Rusyn and Burstow are the only strikers in the Sunderland camp who have even picked up a goal contribution for their efforts, both picking up an assist apiece. Whereas, Hosoya has become a goal machine in his native Japan this campaign.
In 2023 alone, the 5 foot 10 forward helped himself to 17 goals in all competitions after only scoring 13 goals combined in the four campaigns before this prolific year.
2023
44
17
1
2022
34
8
4
2021
35
3
1
2020
4
1
1
2019
8
1
0
Sourced by Transfermarkt
In contrast, Stewart's final season in Scotland with Ross County saw him net just six goals.
Hosoya's strengths, as outlined by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, centre on the young striker's 'pace' and 'acceleration' – the Japanese forward adept at burning defenders with his raw speed, before finishing off an opportunity.
Hosoya is also clinical when looking at statistics on FBRef, scoring 14 times from just 26 shots on target this year which Beale will hope stands the 21-year-old in good stead for firing goals in on a regular basis when relocating to Sunderland.
It looks as if the Reysol attacker is deserving of a major move away from the J1 League club to test himself elsewhere, Sunderland fans desperately hoping that taking a gamble on an unproven entity in English football can pay off.
If not, the search for a Stewart replacement will go on with a deadly striker the final piece of the jigsaw Beale has to get right to make Sunderland worthy promotion contenders.