Sunderland’s goalkeeping shake-up is edging into a full reset, and Anthony Patterson now looks set to be the next major name to leave. The club have agreed to sell the 26-year-old to Wrexham for an initial £8m, with permission granted for him to travel to north Wales for a medical and complete the move.
That is a significant step in a transfer that has been developing throughout the summer. Patterson, who came through Sunderland’s academy, was once the club’s long-term answer in goal, but the arrival of Robin Roefs and Melker Ellborg changed the picture. Once a first-choice goalkeeper, he has now been pushed toward the exit as Sunderland reshape the position.
The move also fits the pattern of a busy late-summer market for Sunderland. Arthur Masuaku has been given permission to travel to Turkey for his proposed move to Konyaspor, while Leo Hjelde is in advanced talks over a permanent move to Mechelen. Patterson’s departure, though, is the biggest of the three because of both the fee and what he represented to the team over several seasons.
From academy prospect to first-choice keeper
Patterson’s Sunderland story has been a long one. He made his senior debut in 2020 in an EFL Trophy group stage game against Fleetwood, then became first choice in the second half of the 2021-22 season. He also played a key role in 2025, making two crucial saves in Sunderland’s Wembley win over Sheffield United in the play-off final.
That background explains why this move feels more than routine squad movement. Patterson was not just a reserve being moved on; he was part of Sunderland’s recent rise and one of the more established figures to come through the club’s system. The fact that he spent the second half of last season on loan at Millwall also suggested his future was already being questioned before Wrexham made their push.
Wrexham were among the frontrunners to sign him over the summer, and now they appear to have won the race. For a club preparing for the Championship season, this is the kind of signing that signals ambition as much as necessity. An experienced goalkeeper with 32 senior appearances and a recent Wembley final on his record offers more than depth; he offers credibility.
For Sunderland, the decision is easier to understand from a squad-building perspective than from a sentimental one. Patterson’s pathway was interrupted by the arrivals of Roefs and Ellborg, and the club have chosen to move early rather than wait for uncertainty to linger. The key remaining step is the medical, and unless that changes, the transfer should soon be complete.
If it goes through as expected, Patterson’s exit will close one chapter of Sunderland’s recent progress and open another for Wrexham. It is a reminder that in football, even a homegrown goalkeeper with a Wembley moment can become part of a wider rebuild very quickly.
