Championship rivals gatecrash Millwall bid to sign Sunderland ace Anthony Patterson as new update emerges
Millwall are hoping to complete a deal to sign Sunderland goalkeeper Anthony Patterson before the transfer deadline.
Alex Neil previously managed Patterson at Sunderland, and would like to reunite with his former shot-stopper in the coming days.
The 25-year-old has made just one senior appearance for the Black Cats this season, with Robin Roefs providing a dominant force in net since his summer arrival.
Roefs has been superb for Sunderland and is expected to be Regis Le Bris‘ number one for the foreseeable future.
Sunderland were open to letting Patterson leave in the summer, but could not find a suitable replacement for the Englishman.
Millwall face competition for Anthony Patterson
Lukas Jensen was Millwall‘s first-choice goalkeeper for almost the entirety of last season, until he ruptured his Achilles tendon.
The Dane had looked set to return in December, but a subsequent injury to his quad has now left him set for a longer period on the sidelines.
In his absence, Max Crocombe has performed superbly well, but Neil is hopeful of strengthening in the position ahead of a push towards the Premier League.
According to Sky Sports, Millwall remain hopeful of signing Patterson, but their chances rely on Sunderland signing a suitable replacement.
Six Championship clubs and sides from abroad have shown interest in Patterson, but the goalkeeper is currently favouring a move to The Den.
What Alex Neil has said about Patterson
It was Neil in charge when Patterson first found his breakthrough in League One with Sunderland.
The first half of the 2021-22 season had seen the goalkeeper go to Notts County in the National League, before he was brought back to the Stadium of Light.
| Anthony Patterson | Championship 2024-25 |
| Appearances | 42 |
| Clean sheets | 14 |
| Saves | 91 |
| Save percentage | 68.4% |
| Penalty saves | 1 |
Bizarrely, the Englishman’s loan was extended twice before he was recalled and eventually given a chance to start by Neil, who arrived in February 2022.
Patterson started every single league game remaining of the season and was in net as Sunderland beat Wycombe Wanderers in the play-off final to achieve promotion back to the Championship.
Neil left in August 2022 to join Stoke City, but the effect he had on Patterson will not have been forgotten by the goalkeeper.
“I think with Patto, he has got better as games have gone by,” the manager said in 2022. “He’s young and inexperienced, but he has come in and looked relatively solid.
“He’s had a couple of key moments for us and, particularly when you are playing for a team like Sunderland, because for large spells of the games just recently you don’t have anything to do, you need to make sure that your focus and concentration is there, and he has done that.”