Sunderland's New Signing Juan Angulo: A Giant with Killer Instincts
Juan Angulo has been billed as a project signing, but those who have watched him closely are convinced Sunderland have bought much more than raw potential.
South American football journalist Nathan Joyes believes the 18-year-old Ecuadorian striker will catch Wearside off guard – in the best possible way.
‘A man-mountain with killer instincts’
Angulo arrived at the Stadium of Light on deadline day from Independiente del Valle for an undisclosed fee, with reports suggesting Sunderland have invested around £5m in the 6ft 4in forward.
Joyes, speaking to BBC Radio Newcastle, painted the picture of a centre-forward built for modern European football, not just the highlight reels of youth tournaments.
“Independiente del Valle know how to produce young talents, but young talents that are prepped and ready for Europe,” he said, underlining the club’s growing reputation as a conveyor belt of well-schooled prospects.
Sunderland, he argued, have landed “a giant but one with killer instincts inside the box” – a combination that instantly invites comparisons.
“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.”
That last line will prick up ears on Wearside. A towering teenager, yes, but not a static target man.
Nimble feet in a big frame
Joyes stressed that Angulo’s game is built on sharp movement and economy of touches rather than simply bullying defenders in the air.
“I think Sunderland fans will be pleasantly surprised how well he can operate and turn inside the box and just be rather nimble,” he said. “He's a very good footballer and very tidy with his feet.”
The description is of a striker who wastes little time once the ball arrives.
“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.”
That instinct, that constant urge to face up the goalkeeper as quickly as possible, has shaped his scoring record so far.
“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,” Joyes explained. “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.”
So while the frame screams old-school No 9, the toolkit belongs to a forward comfortable in tight spaces, spinning away from markers rather than simply outmuscling them.
“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.”
Built for the next step
Whether Sunderland choose to bed Angulo in with a loan spell or throw him straight into the Championship grind remains to be seen. Joyes doesn’t see that decision defining the move.
“So, whether or not he takes a loan move first and foremost, I don't think it particularly matters too much,” he said.
What matters, in his view, is that Angulo’s profile fits where Sunderland want to go and where the game is heading.
“That's where he's going to fit well into the top leagues,” Joyes concluded.
For a club betting heavily on youth and resale value, a “man-mountain” who moves like a smaller forward and finishes off either foot is exactly the kind of gamble they are prepared to take. The question now is how quickly Wearside gets to see that blend of size and subtlety in a red and white shirt.
