Sunderland appears to be on the receiving end of Leeds United’s multimillion-pound transfer agreement: Look at

In the Championship, Sunderland has had a dismal few months.

It is safe to say that the Black Cats’ controversial decision to fire Tony Mowbray in December—despite their position just outside of the play-off spots—and replace him with Michael Beale did not turn out as planned.

Beale was fired this month after leading Sunderland to just four victories in his twelve games in charge,

since he was a controversial choice among the team’s supporters.

Following Mowbray’s departure, Mike Dodds had a successful caretaker stint.

The 37-year-old has been named as the Black Cats’ interim head coach through the end of the season,

but he hasn’t had the same effect thus far,

as the team has only gained one point from his five games in charge.

Sunderland is back in action on Good Friday as they travel to Cardiff City in South Wales.

At the moment, they are sitting 12th in the Championship table,

13 points out of the play-off spots, and 9 points clear of the relegation zone.

The lackluster January transfer window has not helped the Black Cats’ season; three new players—Leo Hjelde, Romaine Mundle,

and Callum Styles—arrived at the Stadium of Light,

and fans were greatly irritated by the team’s inability to sign a senior striker.

While Styles, Mundle, and Hjelde have all struggled in their early Wearside careers,

the largest doubts surround Hjelde’s acquisition given the substantial transfer fee the team paid.

Sunderland might be regretting their transfer of Leo Hjelde.

After joining Leeds from Celtic in August 2021 for a transfer fee above £1 million,

Hjelde had a challenging time there, playing in just eight senior games over the course of three and a half years.

Hjelde began the season for Leeds against Cardiff after spending the second half of the previous campaign on loan at Rotherham United.

However, he was replaced at halftime, and that would turn out to be his only league appearance for Daniel Farke’s team, with only two more coming in the EFL Cup.

Hjedle’s lack of playing time at Elland Road meant that when Sunderland paid a reported £2 million to sign the 20-year-old in January, there were questions.

Hjelde has started every game for the Black Cats since joining the team, playing left and center defense, but he hasn’t been able to win over fans just yet.

In the nine games that Hjelde has played in, Sunderland has lost six, drawn two, and won only one.

In addition, they have given up 13 goals.

Of course, it would be wrong to hold Hjelde solely responsible for the Black Cats’ issues,

and his arrival onto the team has been difficult given the club’s downward spiral.

However, some fans have questioned whether Hjelde should continue to play,

and it’s unclear if the defender will start for Sunderland once their roster is fully healthy.

Luke O’Nien is back from suspension for Friday’s trip to Cardiff,

which may force Hjelde to the bench. When they return from injury,

Niall Huggins, Dennis Cirkin, and Aji Alese will provide more competition for spots.

Hjelde signed a four-and-a-half year contract with the Black Cats,

who are expected to be patient with him given their recent history of recruiting young players.

Hjelde, who has had some upheaval at the Stadium of Light thus far,

maintained last month that he has had a “very enjoyable” stay at the club and that he and his teammates still have more to give.

After paying a high price for Hjelde’s services,

Leeds now appear to have won the deal, so Sunderland will be hoping he can get back on track quickly.

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