Sunderland Transfers: 10 Players Derek McInnes Could Bring With Him

3. Ryan Christie

Former Scotland Under-21 Ryan Christie was a dynamite addition to Derek McInnes' Aberdeen side after arriving on loan from Celtic in January 2017.

The Celtic midfielder averaged just under a goal a game for The Dons, with his strikes playing a key role in securing second place in the Scottish Premier League underneath his parent club. The Bhoys' success alongside Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup cost him an opportunity to contest the final against the Champions, but he ended the League campaign on a high with a brace in a 6-0 drubbing of Partick Thistle.

As per the terms of the loan, Christie has now returned to Celtic, where he may yet again be surplus to requirements following a previously successful loan stint at Inverness Caledonian Thistle.

At only 22 years old, Christie's signature at Sunderland would be a statement of intent from the new manager. Not only would he have the opportunity to push forward with a young player away from the high profile glare of the Premier League, McInnes could build on his prior relationship with the prodigious young talent and guide him into transforming Sunderland's midfield.

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Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett