Sunderland ended the 2022/23 campaign with an injury crisis at the heart of their defence as Danny Batth and Daniel Ballard both missed the Championship play-offs.
This meant that Luke O'Nien and Trai Hume, a midfielder and a right-back by trade, were forced to play as centre-backs against Luton in the second leg, which they lost 2-0.
The injuries to Batth and Ballard exposed the lack of depth in the squad in that position. Kristjaan Speakman and Tony Mowbray have now made a move to combat that ahead of 2023/24.
It was recently reported that the Black Cats have agreed on a deal worth $500,000 (£402k) to sign central defender Nectarios Triantis from Australian side Central Coast Mariners.
What is Nectrarios Triantis' style of play?
The right-footed centre-back is a competent passer of the ball who can also make regular defensive interventions to cut out opposition attacks and the 18-year-old could be the dream long-term heir to Batth's position in the team at the Stadium of Light.
During the current A-League campaign, Triantis has averaged an impressive Sofascore rating of 7.05 across 25 appearances in the division and made 3.1 tackles and interceptions per game for his side.
Batth, meanwhile, averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.83 across 40 outings in the Championship and made 1.5 tackles and interceptions for Sunderland.
These statistics suggest that the 18-year-old centre-back has the potential to be an upgrade on the experienced campaigner due to his average performance level and the volume of defensive actions he is able to make week-in-week-out, which could limit the number of chances the opposition are able to create against Mowbray's side.
Australian football journalist Joey Lynch recently offered the Sunderland Echo a description of the Mariners gem:
“A bigger-bodied defender, Triantis is composed on the ball and possesses recovery speed to help out his teammates in a pinch."
Lynch's comment on his ability in possession is backed up by the enforcer's 85% pass completion rate in the A-League, which shows that the youngster is reliable on the ball and rarely gives it away – in a similar fashion to Batth, who completed 81% of his passes in the Championship.
Triantis, who journalist Josh Bunting also described as an "exciting" potential signing, only turned 18 last month and is a staggering 14 years younger than the current Black Cats battler.
This means that the teenager could be one for the future, as well as the here and now, and a player who Mowbray can develop and improve over time.
The Aussie gem could learn from Batth and utilise the 32-year-old's vast experience to help him adjust to life in English football before eventually taking over his position as first-choice in the team, should Speakman and co strike.
