Ee-Sunderland striker Don Goodman reckons Sunderland are “this season’s Ipswich Town” as far as the Championship promotion race is concerned. However, he says the only way the Black Cats will keep Enzo Le Fee is if they follow Ipswich into the Premier League.

The Sky Sports pundit and EFL expert was full of praise for the Black Cats and is pleased to see them doing so well. Regis le Bris' side are fourth in the table and pushing for automatic promotion.

Speaking via OLBG (www.olbg.com), Goodman said: “Sunderland are strong all over the pitch and will be an even bigger threat when the injuries dry up. Romaine Mundle and Tommy Watson are still to come back and they’ve just signed Jayden Danns, too.

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“I’m delighted to see them doing so well. Sunderland are the outlier, they are this year’s Ipswich Town. We all waited for Ipswich to fall away last year and it didn’t happen. Sunderland have got the tools to challenge Sheffield United and Burnley, as I’d suggest Leeds United will win the title.”

Goodman stated the Black Cats must win promotion to have any chance of keeping Enzo Le Fee while he has been hugely impressed with centre-back Chris Mepham.

He added: “Chris Mepham is having the season of his life, they’ve got a fantastic goalkeeper [Anthony Patterson], the two full-backs [Trai Hume and Dennis Cirkin] are attack-minded, and their midfield duo of Jobe Bellingham and Dan Neil will be sought-after by Premier League clubs.

“They have an abundance of explosive, dynamic and ball-carrying talent. We saw against Middlesbrough how they can hurt opponents, against a team that hadn’t lost in six games. It was an excellent win.”

Le Fee was brought to Wearside from AS Roma in January and has already shown his class. The attacking midfielder is on loan until the end of the season and the move will be made permanent if Sunderland are promoted, with a £19million fee agreed.

Le Fee is considered too good for the second level of English football and Goodman added: “Anybody who saw that game [Middlesbrough] and that performance of Le Fee will know he’s a sensational player and he’s only playing at 70 per cent according to Regis Le Bris.

"You can see his class and that he does not belong in the Championship. The only way Sunderland will be able to keep Le Fee is if they win promotion. If not, he’ll still be a Premier League player but for somebody else.

"Sunderland have more young, saleable assets in their squad than any club in the Championship. Getting Wilson Isidor on a permanent deal was important and they’ve kept hold of all their talented young players.”

Meanwhile, JeffBet’s (www.jeffbet.com) latest Championship Supercomputer has predicted Leeds and Sheffield United to clinch the automatic promotion places, with Sunderland losing in the play-off final to Burnley even though the Black Cats will finish above Scott Parker’s men.

Leeds are predicted to storm to the Championship title with a huge 104 points as Sheffield United finish 15 points adrift in second place.