Juan Angulo: Sunderland's Giant Striker with Winger's Skills

Juan Angulo has been billed as a giant with a winger’s feet – and Sunderland supporters are being told to expect something very different from the stereotypical target man.

The 6ft 4in striker, just 18, arrived at the Stadium of Light from Independiente del Valle on deadline day for an undisclosed fee, with reports suggesting a £5m outlay. For a teenager stepping into English football, that’s a statement. So is the pedigree of the club he has come from.

South American football journalist Nathan Joyes believes Sunderland have tapped into a proven talent factory.

“Independiente del Valle know how to produce young talents, but young talents that are prepped and ready for Europe,” he told BBC Radio Newcastle, underlining why the Black Cats have moved aggressively for the Ecuadorian.

Loan spell or straight into the first team? For Joyes, that detail is secondary to what Angulo already brings.

“So, whether or not he takes a loan move first and foremost, I don't think it particularly matters too much,” he said. “I think Sunderland, for the rumoured fee of £5m, have picked up a giant but one with killer instincts inside the box.”

The comparison he reaches for will make older fans smile.

“He is a man-mountain, Peter Crouch-esque for sure, but he's very good with his feet. Don't be fooled by his size.”

This is where the picture of Angulo starts to break away from the usual clichés. Sunderland may have signed a towering No 9, but Joyes insists the most dangerous part of his game happens on the floor, in tight spaces, when defenders think they’ve crowded him out.

“I think Sunderland fans will be pleasantly surprised how well he can operate and turn inside the box and just be rather nimble,” Joyes added. “He's a very good footballer and very tidy with his feet.”

That nimbleness feeds into a striking profile that sounds tailor-made for a side that likes to play quickly in the final third. Minimal fuss. Maximum threat.

“Sunderland are getting a very direct, confident young lad. He's 18, he probably looks closer to 25, 26, but the player they will be getting is someone who takes minimal touches in order to turn his body towards facing goal.”

The assumption with a 6ft 4in forward is obvious: crosses, knockdowns, headers. Angulo’s record, Joyes says, tells a different story.

“A lot of his goals have actually not come through his size and his head, it's rather how direct he is with his feet. He can score with either his left or his right, it's all about body shape and he knows exactly how to beat the defence.”

Body shape. Angles. Quick shifts to open up a yard. Joyes keeps coming back to the same theme – a big man who plays like a penalty-box technician.

“He is really strong in terms of knowing how to get shots off, and I think it's just a case of taking minimal touches which is really surprising,” he said.

That economy of movement, combined with his frame, is what convinces Joyes that Angulo’s game will travel.

“That's where he's going to fit well into the top leagues.”

Sunderland have gambled on potential before. This time, they believe they’ve landed an 18-year-old who already moves like a seasoned centre-forward – and who just happens to be built like a heavyweight.