Alan Shearer is one of the greatest strikers this country has ever produced, but it's clear that he should not take a career left-turn and become a bookmaker after predicting Sunderland would be relegated from the Premier League.

Sunderland have enjoyed quite the campaign. BBC Sport also asserted that the Black Cats would tumble right back down this season, finishing 19th, but the outcome has been different indeed for Regis Le Bris' side.

After beating Chelsea on the final game of the season, Sunderland secured a seventh-place finish, thus earning a ticket on board the Europa League train.

This is excellent stuff, but with continental competition comes much more football, and Le Bris needs to add plenty of depth.

Sunderland ready to bid for Premier League forward

Sunderland have eclipsed expectations this season, utterly incredible in their resilience and togetherness and consistency, wrapping up with 54 points.

A range of signings are needed across a range of positions, and while Brian Brobbey has been excellent up top, he only scored six goals across the course of the campaign, and with Wilson Isidor anticipated to be heading off, Sunderland have set their sights on an exciting upgrade.

According to TEAMtalk, Sunderland are among the clubs who are ready to sign Tammy Abraham this summer, despite the 28-year-old only joining Aston Villa in January for £21m.

Much hinges on Villa's stance, but with Ollie Watkins resurgent, Abraham may have concerns over his second-fiddle role in the Midlands, and Sunderland could offer him the chance to fight for No. 1 while still competing out in Europe next season.

Why Abraham could be an upgrade on Brobbey for Sunderland

Sunderland are in quite the position, but they must now consolidate it by adding players who can make a real difference. Abraham, accomplished both in the Premier League and abroad, winning European trophies, has also demonstrated more clinical ability in England.

Last summer, Sunderland added Brobbey to the ranks after their promotion party, signing for £17m (plus around £4m in add-ons). He finished the campaign as their top scorer, bagging seven goals.

Brobbey is far more than just a direct outlet, one of the strongest and most imposing strikers in the game. His hold-up play is remarkable, and while he only scored seven Premier League goals, he also missed 12 big chances, which isn't the most profligate return in the world.

Abraham, though, has hit prolific heights across numerous countries. In 2019/20, his breakout year with Chelsea, the England international posted 15 Premier League goals, winning the Champions League one year on. At Roma, he bagged the Conference League under Jose Mourinho, a term that saw him bag 27 goals across all competitions.

Since joining Villa from Besiktas in January, Abraham has only scored three times, but it's worth noting that Unai Emery only started him twice in the Premier League. At Sunderland, he would have ample opportunity to stake his claim at the front of the ship, potentially working alongside Brobbey, and not just jockeying with him for a starting berth.

Abraham has reached a point in his career in which playing time must take precedence, and at Sunderland, he would certainly stand a better chance of returning to the kind of form that saw him thrive under Frank Lampard's wing at Chelsea.

Sunderland's forthcoming European campaign will only increase his chances of featuring prominently, especially if Brobbey fails to hit double-digit goalscoring form.

This is the kind of pragmatic move that Sunderland need to make this summer. We don't want any cases of second-season syndrome on Wearside, and Abraham, who once said that Mourinho turned him into a "monster" of a goalscorer in Italy, could benefit from a direct and intense manager such as Le Bris, rediscovering his Midas touch in the danger area.