Sunderland enjoyed an impressive return to life in the Championship in the 2022/23 campaign as they battled early disruption to reach the play-offs.
Alex Neil quit the Stadium of Light to join Stoke City in the first month of the season and Tony Mowbray came in to lead the Black Cats to sixth before losing to Luton Town, who went on earn promotion to the Premier League.
The head coach and Kristjaan Speakman now have the summer transfer window to bolster the squad again with the aim of going all the way and moving up to the top-flight at the end of 2023/24.
One player the club have been linked with a swoop for ahead of next term is Universidad Católica prospect Alexander Aravena, who could be the dream heir to a current Sunderland ace.
How would Alexander Aravena fit in at Sunderland?
The 20-year-old right winger could come in and eventually replace Patrick Roberts on that side of Mowbray's attacking line-up next season or in the years to come.
In the Primera Division in 2023, the exciting youngster has averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.08 and chipped in with seven goals and two assists from out wide in 13 outings. The number 18 has created one chance per game for his teammates and showcased his ability to open up the opposition for his fellow attackers.
His form this year comes after an impressive 2022 in the top-flight of football in Chile.
Aravena averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.98 in the league last term and contributed at the top end of the pitch with 11 goals and three assists in 30 matches as a winger.
These statistics show that the young ace, whose intelligence was once praised as "magnificent" by press officer and scout Salvatore Gandhi, has the quality to be a big goal threat, whilst also being able to provide creativity, as a right winger.
Roberts, meanwhile, averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.83 and racked up five goals and seven assists in 42 appearances in the Championship in the season just gone.
This suggests that the Chile international could provide more than him in front of goal if the 20-year-old is able to adjust to English football, based on his return of 18 goals and five assists in his last 43 league games is more impressive than the Englishman's statistics in the second tier.
Aravena's age, however, means that Mowbray would not have to rush him into the starting XI or expect him to hit the ground running on Wearside. Sunderland could take their time with the prolific magician and bed him in slowly as the long-term heir to Roberts' position on the right flank.
