The Zenit loanee has netted four goals in six starts for Sunderland since signing during last summer’s transfer window. The striker, who can also play off the left, scored a superb over-the-shoulder volley against Oxford United at the Stadium of Light last weekend and proceeded to emulate fellow countryman Henry with his celebration.
“I’m the biggest fan of Thierry Henry so that’s why I wanted to celebrate like that,” Isidor said to Sky Sports after the game. When asked whether it would have been a goal Henry would have been proud of, he replied: “I think so!”
Isidor was also asked about the support from Black Cats supporters. “The Sunderland fans come up to me in the street and say, ‘You’re really good, and we appreciate the way you play.’ This gives me a lot of confidence. It’s why I’m so involved with the team, & it’s why I think I’ve found my family here. I’m playing freely & with a smile—that’s what’s making the difference.”
Wilson Isidor’s transfer situation explained
Isidor is on loan until the end of the 2024/25 campaign, but there was some confusion over what happens at the end of the campaign due to contrasting statements from Sunderland and Zenit St Petersburg at the time of his arrival. Sunderland announced that they had an option to make the deal permanent at the end of the season, while Zenit said it was a’mandatory right to buy’.
Newspanda understands that a fee has been agreed upon by the two clubs, but whether it is automatically triggered depends on the team’s performance this season. If Sunderland win promotion to the Premier League, it will automatically trigger the clause. If they are still a Championship club next summer, the deal will not automatically be triggered, and at that stage it will be Sunderland’s decision as to whether to push forward with the deal. If Isidor maintains his current form over the course of the rest of this campaign, it’s a fairly safe bet to assume Sunderland will look to do exactly that.
The fee would be a significant one but given some of the fees that have been paid for strikers by Championship clubs in recent seasons, a very reasonable one. The structure of the deal is a relatively common one and has similarities with the loan deal to sign Leon Dajaku from Union Berlin, for example. Dajaku initially signed on a season-long deal but became a Sunderland player when they secured promotion from League One and was included in the club’s retained list days later.
Whether any deal would be complicated by the ongoing geopolitical situation remains to be seen; there were no issues with the loan agreement which was approved by all the relevant parties. One would think it’s a potential hurdle Sunderland have already examined and explored as part of the initial deal.
