Sunderland confirm signing of striker Aaron Connolly on 12-month deal

Connolly has joined the Black Cats as a free agent, signing a one-year contract at the Stadium of Light.

The 24-year-old, who started his senior career at Brighton and has previously had a loan spell at Middlesbrough, spent last season on loan at Hull City, scoring eight goals in 13 Championship starts.

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“I feel very privileged to sign for Sunderland,” said Connolly. “I have only been up here for a short while, but it’s easy to see what this club means to people and the atmosphere on Saturday (as Sunderland beat Middlesbrough) showed that.

“I want to represent that in the right way and pay back the faith the club has placed in me by playing well and doing what I love more than anything, which is scoring goals. I’m ready to move forward with my career after facing some challenges in recent times and I fully understand the huge opportunity I have ahead of me.”

Settling in at the AoL 📍👋 pic.twitter.com/wC1T1v5Nq4

— Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC) September 24, 2024

Connolly joined Brighton in 2016 and scored his first senior  goal in an EFL Cup victory over Bristol Rovers in the 2019-20 season.

He made his Premier League debut four days later before making his first start in October 2019, when he scored twice in a 3-0 win over Tottenham.

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Connolly remained part of Graham Potter’s squad until January 2022 when he joined Boro on loan, which was followed by further switches to Venezia and Hull.

“Aaron needs an opportunity to re-establish himself and to reset the perception of him as a professional athlete,” said Sunderland sporting director Kristjaan Speakman. “It wasn’t long ago that he was scoring goals in the Premier League and playing for his national team, but he has suffered some setbacks

“We all handle challenges differently and when it comes to responding, sometimes we don’t get it right immediately. At Sunderland, he’ll have the environment and support to perform and an opportunity to showcase his ability.

“It’s an important 17-game period following the next international break and we believe Aaron can add value to our squad during that period. We look forward to helping him settle and supporting him in that process.”