In a summer transfer window which saw a number of seasoned Championship campaigners leave the club, Sunderland signed then 29-year-old, Bradley Dack, in an attempt to rebalance the squad.
The former Blackburn Rovers playmaker signed a one-year deal with the club, reuniting with former Rovers boss Tony Mowbray, with the Black Cats disclosing the option for another year in his contract.
Dack arrived on Wearside looking to put his injury woes behind him, after back-to-back ACL operations had blighted his previous three years at Ewood Park. Nonetheless, the attacking midfielder was touted as the reason behind Blackburn's festive turnaround and play-off push last season, making 33 appearances for Rovers in 2022/23, scoring seven goals, but just 12 of those were starts.
READ MORE: Analysis: How Sunderland continue to struggle with set plays
If we flash forward to the current campaign, Dack has managed just 12 appearances after another injury disrupted campaign. With just a couple of months remaining on his deal, he finds himself at a familiar crossroad. His future uncertain.
The 30-year-old has managed just five starts since making the move to Wearside, his most recent in the 1-0 win over Hull City on Boxing Day, where he picked up his latest injury blow - a hamstring injury that has kept him out of first-team activity to present day.
That being said, the seasoned campaigner is closing in on a return to the matchday squad, having made two appearances for Sunderland's U21s over the course of the international break.
He was given an hour against Newcastle United U21s on Monday, before a second outing on Friday against Leicester City, scoring in the 4-2 win over the Foxes, before being replaced after 77 minutes.
With just one goal and one assist since his move to Sunderland last summer, Dack is facing a make or break period at the club.
If we look at how he compares with the rest of the Championship in the radar above, Dack should in theory, help Sunderland in terms of creativity in the final third, helping unlock an area of the pitch where they've struggled this season.
We saw in glimpses against the young Magpies, Dack pick up the ball in pockets of space, draw fouls and look to get Sunderland up the pitch. His radar shows he loses the ball far less than his Championship peers, has more touches in the box and has an impressive xG/Shot ratio.
However, having played just 472 minutes this season, those statistics are likely to appear better than what they are.
Dack has started just five games since his move to Sunderland. A disappointing return for a player, who on paper, should add value to the current squad.
Injuries remain his biggest issue and they stand between him and the club taking up the option of another year.
As things stand, it's difficult to argue that another year would be beneficial for the club in any way, adding in his goal contributions as another factor.
An interesting point worth noting, was Kristjaan Speakman's comments on Dack's arrival.
From the outside looking in, it's clear there was an element of Mowbray pushing for the club to sign the former Blackburn Rovers talent, after all, Dack's best spell at Ewood Park came under the former Sunderland boss.
Last summer, sporting director Speakman said: "We are delighted to welcome Bradley to Sunderland AFC. He’s an attacking midfielder with different qualities to others we have within the squad, and we feel he can add a different dimension to our team.
"He brings a wealth of experience, but also a personality that can help us on and off the field. It’s great to welcome him to the club and to see him so excited by the opportunity this move represents.”
Aside from the usual club welcome, Speakman notes Dack's experience as one of the reasons behind his arrival. The lack of senior heads in the Black Cats squad this season is a fair accusation to level at the powers that be, but Dack is one of those signings that bucks the trend.
Recommended reading:
He was signed in the expectation that Alex Pritchard would leave the club in the summer, a move which didn't transpire, but which did then happen in the January transfer window. As of yet, Dack hasn't been able to even attempt to fill the void left by Pritchard, given his absence through injury.
The club must now be fully aware they need senior heads in a young dressing room for next season, but Dack's injury track record should have been a cause for concern when deciding whether or not to sign the player.
They can't afford to point to the playmaker, as a reason not to sign older heads, rather use it as a tool to improve their background checks. His signing - at this stage anyway - is reminiscent of the approach the club made in transfer windows in League One. Regardless if his impact in the final eight games, all signs point towards a summer exit for Dack.
Read the rules here