“Worst Transfer in football history” Sunderland make clear regret over SIGNING flop attacker who is never a threat to the opposition defense.
Will Grigg: From Prolific Scorer to Sunderland’s Ill-Fated Signing
Will Grigg, once celebrated for his goalscoring prowess, became one of Sunderland’s most regrettable signings after a high-profile transfer from Wigan Athletic in League One.
Grigg’s reputation soared in 2016 when he scored 25 goals in 45 league games for Wigan, inspiring the famous “Will Grigg’s on Fire” chant. Though his form dipped in the Championship, he rebounded with 26 goals across all competitions the following season, helping Wigan secure another League One title.
Despite struggling in the Championship with just four goals in 17 games, Sunderland took a £3 million gamble on Grigg in January 2019 – a record fee for a third-tier club. This move proved disastrous, with Grigg making only 47 league appearances over three seasons and scoring a mere five goals.
Loan spells at MK Dons and Rotherham United followed, underlining Grigg’s fall from grace at Sunderland. Travis Martin, a Sunderland fan pundit, cited Grigg’s signing as one of the club’s worst recent transfers, highlighting the mismatch between the player and the team’s needs.
After his release from Sunderland in 2022, Grigg had a brief stint with MK Dons before joining National League side Chesterfield. Under his former Wigan manager Paul Cook, Grigg rediscovered his scoring touch, netting 24 goals in 38 games and helping Chesterfield secure promotion to League Two.
This resurgence in form serves as a bittersweet reminder of the potential Sunderland hoped to harness, but ultimately failed to unlock during Grigg’s disappointing tenure at the Stadium of Light.