Wyke finally signs as Cats land key man
Football Writer SUNDERLAND have finally tied up the signing of Bradford City striker Charlie Wyke in a deal that brings the frontman back to his native North East.
The 25-year-old Middlesbrough native becomes Jack Ross’ 11th signing of a summer that has seen more revolution than evolution on Wearside.
Wyke, who signs a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee, netted 23 times for the Bantams during his two-year spell, 16 of which came last season.
The forward has also enjoyed fruitful spells at Hartlepool United and Carlisle United since leaving the Riverside, and Wyke is excited to get back the region in which he began his career.
“I’m delighted to get it over the line so that I can concentrate on my football again,” he said.
“It’s a massive club, and coming from the North East, I know exactly how much it means to people.
“The one thing that everybody wants here is promotion, so we have to get that and win as many games as we can. “I can’t wait to get started.” A Middlesbrough academy graduate, Wyke enjoyed loan spells with Kettering, AFC Wimbledon and Hartlepool before leaving permanently to join Carlisle in 2015.
It was at Brunton Park where the forward carved a name for himself, scoring 38 goals during two years at the club to earn a move to Valley Parade.
Injury means Wyke will miss the Black Cats’ season-opener against Charlton Athletic on Saturday, though his addition adds more firepower to a side that was sorely in need of it as recently as a week ago.
It also adds vital experience at this level, with neither Jerome Sinclair nor Josh Maja having even played a League One match, let alone scored in one.
The latest arrival joins Sinclair as the club’s second recruit up front, with the Watford man - likely to lead the line for Sunderland’s curtain-raiser - joining on a seasonlong loan last weekend.
But it is believed that Stewart Donald still hopes to add another forward as the arrivals continue to head towards the Stadium of Light.
He will join up with fellow new arrivals Jon McLaughlin, Tom Flanagan, Alim Ozturk, Glenn Loovens, Jack Baldwin, Reece James, Dylan McGeouch, Luke O’Nien, Chris Maguire and Sinclair.