Sunderland have tabled an improved bid for Jeremain Lens, rumoured to be in the region of £9,000,000. According to ESPN, the Black Cats have offered a new bid for the Dutchman after having an £8,000,000 deal turned down last month. The Dynamo Kiev forward played under Dick Advocaat during his time at AZ Alkmaar and PSV, and the manager looks keen to stage a reunion on Wearside. Lens is able to play either as a striker or as the wide member of a front three, making him a perfect fit for the "Borini role" - a position unconfidently filled by Connor Wickham, Will Buckley and Ricardo Alvarez since the Italian's return to Liverpool. Should Sunderland secure Lens' signature, they will have captured a player with pace, versatility and ambition. He has considerable experience at international level, boasting 29 caps for the Netherlands, and possesses a decent eye for goal. A player of Lens' pedigree would certainly be expected to command a regular role in Advocaat's starting eleven, which could spell trouble for Wickham, Fletcher and co., but should set red and white pulses racing. However, a highly rated European signing doesn't necessarily guarantee instant success, as Emmanuele Giaccherini and Ricardo Alvarez have proven in recent seasons.
