With deadline day fast approaching Sunderland have been linked with a few players now and one of them seems close to completing a loan move to Wearside. One member of our squad is being chased by a few teams from very different places, the women’s team may progress out of the group stage of the Women’s League Cup despite losing the final game of the group stages 7-0 and the U18s have progressed to the Fifth Round of the FA Youth Cup.
STYLES ON HIS WAY?
Rumours that Callum Styles would be coming to Sunderland this month on a loan deal initially with an obligation to buy in the summer heated up after the Hungarian international was absent from Barnsley’s squad for their game away to Oxford United on Tuesday night. Their chairman, Neerav Parekh, said that he could potentially be leaving Barnsley by the end of the week. Their manager, Neill Collins, also shared a similar sentiment by confirming that his club were in negotiations with another club surrounding the player. Although Styles has also been linked with Birmingham City and Hull City this month we are the clear favourites to capture his signature. The 23 year old has been capped by Hungary 18 times and can play in a central or attacking role, as well as on the left side, in midfield. He has played 21 times for Barnsley this season, scoring three and assisting two. Last season the midfielder was loaned out to Millwall where he managed 22 games in the Championship with one goal and one assist.
MOORE DEAL SQUASHED
Another loan deal that Sunderland looked into this window was for experienced Welsh striker Kieffer Moore but that seems unlikely to materialise with Bournemouth only willing to allow him to depart on a permanent deal. That seems like an odd position for the Cherries to take, Moore has struggled for game time this season and has made it clear he wants more minutes ahead of Wales’ important Euro play off match against Finland in March, with the likely reason being Bournemouth not wanting to pay part of his wages for the next few months but surely paying less of the wage total for a few months would be worthwhile for them. A Premier League side seems unlikely to come in for him and it seems a bit of a push for any Championship side to be able to pay his wages even if they were reduced by quite a bit on a permanent contract. Ipswich were also looking to loan him this January but Bournemouth’s choice appears to be the worst possible option for all parties, mostly for the player.
M'VILA RETURN UNLIKELY
Unfortunately a potential return for ex-SAFC loanee M’Vila seems to be drifting further and further away from reality. He’s been linked with a move to Ligue 1 team Metz and Michael Beale said he hadn’t discussed bringing him back with anyone at the club in the buildup before the game against Hull last Friday.
PRITCHARD A WANTED MAN
Alex Pritchard has been linked with moves to Birmingham City, Sivasspor of the Turkish Super Lig and Colorado Rapids of the MLS. Birmingham of course now have Tony Mowbray at the helm and our ex-boss knows all about the midfielder's quality, Sivasspor are hovering in lower mid table and will be looking to strengthen to avoid being dragged into the relegation zone and Colorado Rapids will be looking to improve on the fact they got the second worst points total in the MLS last time around. Hopefully we keep hold of him, if we are going to finish in the top six Alex Pritchard’s contributions would be a major factor in that.
SAFC WOMEN TO BE GIVEN A SECOND CHANCE?
Sunderland were beaten 7-0 in their final group game in the Women’s League Cup at the hands of Aston Villa. That meant that Villa qualified for the quarter finals of the competition in 1st place and Sunderland would be eliminated as although they finished runners up in the group, they were behind the best second placed team (Manchester United). We may yet progress though as Aston Villa used an ineligible player during the match. Noelle Maritz shouldn’t have been allowed to play as she had already played for Arsenal in the same competition this season and that meant she was cup tied but that didn’t stop Villa bringing her off the bench. There is the option that we simply take Aston Villa’s place in the quarter finals but there is also the possibility that we get awarded the win in just that final game and that would see us overtake Manchester United as the best group runners up. I’d imagine they’d go for having us take Aston Villa’s place to avoid punishing Manchester United for something that doesn’t involve him. Fingers crossed we are allowed to progress (it's up to an independent tribunal) as it would be something else to play for alongside trying to get promoted to the Women’s Super League.
SUNDERLAND U18S THROUGH TO FIFTH ROUND
Sunderland U18s are through to the Fifth Round of the FA Youth Cup after a comfortable 3-0 win away to Gillingham. Goals from Kailem Beattie, Trey Samuel-Ogunsuyi and Josh Robertson ensured we progressed. Chris Rigg, Tom Watson and Matt Young all featured in the game as well. This follows on from an impressive 5-2 win vs Middlesbrough in the Third Round. The U18s will face Swindon Town at home for a place in the quarter finals on the 10th February.
