Sunderland AFC – CaughtOffside

Liverpool move for talented Mexican with 52 G/A contributions scuppered by Championship giants

Jason Pettigrove — Wed, 04 Sep 2024 04:28:20 +0000

Looking back over Liverpool’s transfer business this summer, supporters might be forgiven for being a little disappointed by just the one capture for this season in Federico Chiesa.

Not that the Italian international isn’t a worthy addition to the club, more that he’s been the only addition given that Giorgi Mamardashvili won’t arrive until next summer.

There could’ve been at least one more player added before the deadline, however, but Championship leaders, Sunderland, scuppered that particular deal.

Liverpool’s chase scuppered by Sunderland

It’s understood that the Reds wanted to sign exciting Mexican star, Cesar Huerta, known is ‘Chino,’ but the plan was to send him straight out on loan to the Black Cats.

“El Chino was scouted by one of the best clubs in the world and that is a source of pride,” Huerta’s current manager, Gustavo Lema, confirmed via TUDN, after UNAM lost Monday’s big game against Tigres.

“What are you going to tell people? That you have a player who was scouted by Liverpool? No, people want to win and that is their right. We cannot tell people anything,”

Arne Slot was interested in a left winger for Liverpool

News that Liverpool were close to a player with 52 total G/A contributions in his career of 187 matches (transfermarkt) throws new light on just how active Arne Slot and his backroom staff were during the summer.

Traditionally a left winger, at just 23 years the player was clearly being groomed for the future and perhaps to be a replacement of sorts for Mo Salah.

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The Egyptian King has less than a year left on his current contract, and it doesn’t seem as though anyone is in a rush to get him tied down to a new one.

Of course, there is always going to come a time when legends of the club move on, so maybe Liverpool are hedging their bets just a little at this point in time.

Unfortunately, Sunderland wouldn’t play ball on this occasion and take the player on loan after all, meaning the deal collapsed.

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Four clubs chasing wantaway Leicester striker with offer tabled

CJ — Wed, 28 Aug 2024 20:52:36 +0000

Leicester City striker Tom Cannon is the subject of interest from four Championship clubs with a £5m bid already tabled, according to reports.

A product of the Everton youth system, Cannon joined Leicester at the end of the 2023 summer transfer window.

However, the one-time Republic of Ireland international missed a portion of the season with a back injury, while the form of the likes of Jamie Vardy, Stephy Mavididi and Patson Daka meant his opportunities were further restricted.

Cannon played just 13 times in the Championship and 16 times across all competitions totalling 600 minutes, but still managed three goals and two assists during that time.

What’s more, a previous loan spell at Preston North End in 2022/23 that yielded eight goals and an assist in 20 Championship appearances was enough to make it clear just what he can deliver at that level.

Four Championship clubs chasing Leicester striker Tom Cannon

That’s according to Football Insider, who report that no fewer than four Championship clubs are in the race to sign Cannon before the closing of the transfer window on Friday.

Hull City have apparently already tabled a £5m offer for the 21-year-old, but Leicester are holding out for £7m.

The Tigers are understood to be joined by Sunderland, Sheffield United and Norwich City in the race for Cannon, who hasn’t featured for Leicester this season having been an unused substitute against Tottenham and failing to make the squad at all against Fulham or Tranmere.

Cannon’s contract at the King Power Stadium runs until the summer of 2028, meaning Leicester will feel no need to sell the striker on the cheap as the end of the transfer window approaches.

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Striker happy to join Leeds United before deadline day

Andrew Walker — Tue, 20 Aug 2024 13:35:00 +0000

Jack Clarke could leave Sunderland before the transfer window’s deadline.

The 23-year-old is heavily linked with a move away from the Stadium of Light with former club Leeds United among those interested in signing him.

The Whites are in the market for a replacement for Crysencio Summerville after the Dutchman joined West Ham earlier in the window.

Aston Villa agree deal to sign exciting English striker

Charlie Patrick — Fri, 09 Aug 2024 20:37:08 +0000

Aston Villa have agreed a deal to sign England under-17 international Mason Cotcher from Sunderland according to Fabrizio Romano.

It’s been a busy summer at Villa Park with a number of new signings coming through the door as the club look to strengthen their squad ahead of Champions League football next season.

The likes of Amadou Onana, Ian Maatsen, Ross Barkey and Jaden Philogene have all come in whilst club record signing Moussa Diaby has departed for Saudi side Al-Ittihad.

Aston Villa close in on Mason Cotcher signing

It’s not all about the first team at Villa and they are also looking to strengthen their academy and make signings for the future.

Romano has reported that they have agreed a deal with Sunderland for 17-year-old striker Cotcher who will sign a contract at Villa Park until 2027.

He took to X.com and said:

“Understand Aston Villa have now agreed on deal to sign England U17 striker Mason Cotcher from Sunderland. Contract until June 2027 to be signed today at #AVFC.”

?? Understand Aston Villa have now agreed on deal to sign England U17 striker Mason Cotcher from Sunderland.

Contract until June 2027 to be signed today at #AVFC. pic.twitter.com/6yl7OLxYmP

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 9, 2024

Sunderland will be compensated when Cotcher signs his first professional contract because of their role in his development.

Cotcher, who has two caps for England’s under-17s made six appearances in the under-18 Premier League last season, scoring three goals, whilst he also made one appearance in the Premier League 2.

In total the 17-year-old has made 27 appearances for Sunderland under-18s, scoring nine goals, and he’s also featured in the youth teams at Manchester United, Arsenal and Leeds.

Tottenham set for huge cash windfall thanks to Ipswich Town and Sunderland pact

Jason Pettigrove — Wed, 24 Jul 2024 08:54:54 +0000

Tottenham Hotspur begin their pre-season tour of Japan and South Korea on Saturday, with a fixture against reigning J League champions, Vissel Kobe.

By the end of the tour, which comes a week later in Seoul against Bayern Munich, Ange Postecoglou should have a reasonable idea as to how his squad are shaping up for the new Premier League season, which begins in just over three weeks time.

The North Londoners fell away at the back end of the 2023/24 season, and a few late reverses ensured that they failed to qualify for the Champions League, with Aston Villa nipping in to take their place.

Postecoglou will arguably look at himself first and foremost and wonder if he could’ve done anything better or differently which may have changed the dynamic at the business end.

A thorough and intensive look at the squad as a whole would surely have followed, and allowed the Australian to make a few decisions for the good of the team.

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou

Though those clubs expected to be around them during the new Premier League season will have also strengthened during the summer, Spurs need to produce the type of form that they showed at the start of last season for the entirety of the 2024/25 campaign.

Bringing in quality players will help them to do just that, and Ipswich Town have inadvertently given them a helping hand in that regard.

Tottenham will benefit from Ipswich’s purchase of Jack Clarke

According to i sport (subscription required), they have offered Sunderland £18m for Jack Clarke, and given that Tottenham negotiated a 40% sell-on clause when they sold him to the Black Cats, they stand to make millions from the transfer.

That money is likely to go straight into club coffers, and gives Postecoglou and Daniel Levy a little more breathing space in terms of Financial Fair Play where transfers are concerned.

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Lazio ramp up efforts to sign alternative striker following Greenwood snub

Andrew Walker — Thu, 18 Jul 2024 08:15:03 +0000

Lazio have reportedly identified an alternative target should they fail in their bid to sign Manchester United’s Mason Greenwood.

According to a recent report from Fichajes, the Serie A side are readying an approach for Sunderland forward and brother of Real Madrid superstar Jude, Jobe Bellingham.

Looking to rebuild Lazio’s squad following the recent departures of Ciro Immobile, Felipe Anderson and Luis Alberto, president Claudio Lotito is believed to be keen to sign Bellingham, 18.

Bellingham set for surprise summer move to Italian giants

Jason Pettigrove — Tue, 16 Jul 2024 09:44:21 +0000

It’s been a busy summer for the Bellingham family, with Jude having won the Champions League with Real Madrid after tying up La Liga, and then going on to lose in the final of the European Championship to Spain.

The 21-year-old will need a well-deserved rest before he puts his best foot forward in earnest for his club during pre-season, and as he does so, attention will turn to his brother, Jobe.

Lazio want Jobe Bellingham

At just 18 years of age, the younger Bellingham has been making a name for himself in the English Championship with Sunderland.

However, as with Jude, it would appear that greater things await on the continent.

Although he won’t be treading the same path as his older sibling, at least not yet, Jobe could soon be pulling on the shirt of Italian giants, Lazio.

Jobe Bellingham is a target for Lazio

According to Il Messaggero, the Serie A side will move for Bellingham soon, particularly if they’re unable to land Mason Greenwood whom they apparently remain in talks with according to the outlet.

Such a move would represent a significant step up in class for Jobe Bellingham, though if he has half as much confidence as his brother would appear to possess, then the switch won’t hold any fears for him.

It isn’t clear how far negotiations have come or whether they will only begin if Lazio don’t sign Greenwood, however, with pre-season already having started for most teams across Europe, the sooner that Lazio can signal their intentions, the better for Jobe Bellingham.

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‘Incredible’ Premier League-linked winger tipped to return to Leeds after five years

CJ — Sat, 22 Jun 2024 18:19:57 +0000

Former Leeds United manager Simon Grayson says Jack Clarke would be an ‘incredible addition’ to the club’s attack, if they can attract him back to Elland Road.

Clarke was sold to Tottenham in July 2019 but after a series of loan spells, was moved on a permanent basis to Sunderland in 2022 — following a strong loan spell in League One for the Black Cats in 2021/22.

The 23-year-old winger enjoyed the best season of his career so far in 2023/24, notching 15 goals and four assists in 40 Championship appearances despite Sunderland falling away from the promotion race to finish 16th.

Clarke’s form has reportedly attracted the attention of a number of Premier League clubs, with West Ham most strongly linked after Burnley also had a bid rejected last summer.

Grayson backs Leeds return for ‘incredible’ Clarke

Sunderland are understood to be resigned to losing Clarke this summer with bids expected imminently.

But a return to Leeds United? It seems unlikely but ex-boss Grayson would certainly like to see Clarke join an already-talented Whites forward line for their promotion push next season.

“Jack Clarke has had an exceptional season but it will have to be a Premier League team he leaves Sunderland for,” Grayson said (via Yorkshire Evening Post).

“Leeds were forced to sell him for financial reasons previously but he would be an incredible addition. With Willy Gnonto, Dan James, Crysencio Summerville, Patrick Bamford and Joel Piroe, Leeds have attackers that would get in so many Premier League teams. Let’s get to the summer and see what happens, he would be an unbelievable weapon to have.”

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Former Man Utd star names Wes Brown as ‘toughest opponent’ ahead of Messi and Ronaldo

CJ — Thu, 06 Jun 2024 09:56:39 +0000

Former Manchester United star Ashley Young has named Wes Brown as the shock pick for the ‘toughest opponent’ he’s faced during his career.

Turning 39 next month, Young is still going strong after spending the 2023/24 campaign with Everton, making 34 appearances across all competitions for the Toffees, who have offered him a one-year extension.

Young’s lengthy career has seen him win multiple major honours with Manchester United — including the Premier League and Europa League — and reach the 2018 World Cup semi-finals with England.

During that time, he’s faced the likes of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modric, Gareth Bale and Andrea Pirlo to name but a few formidable opponents.

Young makes shock ‘toughest opponent’ pick

Despite the illustrious list of names Young has tested himself against, it’s former Manchester United defender Wes Brown he’s picked as his ‘toughest opponent’.

Brown spent 14 years as a Man Utd player between 1997 and 2011, winning five Premier League titles and two Champions Leagues.

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 13: Ashley Young of Aston Villa is bought down by Wes Brown of Manchester United for a penalty during the Barclays Premier League match between Aston Villa and Manchester United at Villa Park on November 13, 2010 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

However, he left for Sunderland after never fully establishing himself as a regular starter — with the 23-time England international playing more than 28 Premier League games in a single season just once for the Red Devils.

Even so, Young does not look back fondly on his battles with the Longsight-born defender.

“It would be someone that people have forgotten about,” Young told talkSPORT. “When I was a winger, I’ve always said the toughest opponent I’ve come up against is Wes Brown.”

Young added: “You know when you talk about going past someone and getting change out of them? I got nothing out of him. Never able to get past him. Just nothing.

“When I’ve gone further back and played as a full-back or a wing-back, I’ve played against plenty of different wingers.

“But for me, in my head, I’m a winger myself, so the toughest opponents have been defenders. And the toughest was Wes Brown.”

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Tottenham amongst a clutch of Premier League clubs that could miss out on brilliant 18-year-old

Jason Pettigrove — Tue, 04 Jun 2024 06:30:57 +0000

It seemed fairly clear after Ange Postecoglou’s remarks towards the end of last season that Tottenham were going to need to make a splash in the summer transfer market.

A more than decent start to the 2023/24 campaign meant that the drop-off in quality, application and general standard of performance was disappointing for the Australian to say the least.

Though the North London outfit have often been accused of bottling it for want of a better term, Postecoglou seems dead set on changing the mindset at the club, even arguing with a supporter during Spurs’ match against Man City towards the end of the season.

Tottenham hoping to land Bellingham

‘Spursy’ is a tag that’s often been levelled at them when the club have been unable to achieve their aims, and that surely must unconsciously play a part in all aspects, both from a player’s point of view when deciding to join or not, and more generally.

Tottenham are one of a clutch of Premier League clubs that have been credited with an interest in Sunderland’s Jobe Bellingham, the younger brother of Real Madrid star, Jude.

Jobe Bellingham is a target for Tottenham and other Premier League clubs.

The 18-year-old is emerging as a brilliant player in his own right, but the Lilywhites, Brentford, Crystal Palace and other clubs look set to be disappointed in their pursuit of the player.

That’s because, according to The Guardian (subscription required), Black Cats owner, Kyril Louis Dreyfus, is loathe to lose Bellingham and has slapped at least a £20m bounty on his head.

That might not be enough to put off interested parties, and if Postecoglou pushes hard enough there could be a slight possibility that Daniel Levy will accede to his wishes.

After all, the Australian generally hit the spot in terms of his targets last season, with Micky van der Ven sensational for the most part.

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