Timur Tutierov (Sunderland / Exeter)
Okay, I’ve gone from A-star loans to one that might have a few of you reaching for Wikipedia. I really like Tutierov, and some of the reasons are the same as liking Ivan Varfolomeev. Tutierov hasn’t been handed a career, he hasn’t climbed through a top academy, having meals cooked for him and every whim catered for. He started out in Crimea, had to flee as a result of the war and went to Spain, before heading back to Kyiv. That’s when Sunderland came in for him.
Gary Caldwell was a big fan. “I think he’s a Premier League player,” he said. “I think you can see from the way he moves, not just his speed, but the freedom in his movement and the inquisitive personality and the thirst for development and knowledge and understanding of the game.”
He’s described as technical and shows flashes of brilliance with pace and trickery. If you pair that with work rate and desire, you have a player who would be perfect for us. Also, as a Ukraine Under 21 teammate of Varfolomeev, it might be lazy, but it seems like a good fit in terms of settling in as well.