Carlos Cuellar a target for Sunderland AFC SUNDERLAND are monitoring the availability of Aston Villa defender Carlos Cuellar, who will be out of contract at the end of the season. Martin O’Neill is prepared to make changes in the summer to refresh a Black Cats squad that requires strengthening but, as chief executive Margaret Byrne pointed out this week, they must be “creative” in the market to maintain their positive progress off the pitch. The Journal understands that process will include the Wearsiders casting around for high-profile free agents in the close season – with Cuellar a priority defensive option if he opts to leave Villa. At the moment his representatives have only held preliminary conversations on a new deal but they are aware how highly O’Neill rates a player he signed for £7.8million from Rangers. The Sunderland chief is looking for reinforcements in every area of the pitch, with a centre-back and a centre-forward particular priorities. The absence of a transfer fee would make Cuellar a compelling option, although the days of huge salaries at the Stadium of Light are behind Sunderland. O’Neill has major decisions to make on the futures of several key men but will look to refresh his squad in every area if he is given board backing in the summer. Cuellar, along with goalkeeper Brad Guzan and veteran striker Emile Heskey, must wait until the end of the season before learning whether they have been given a new deal. “The gaffer’s said he would rather put all these talks back until the season ends,” said Villa’s assistant boss Peter Grant yesterday. “Alex has always been one of these guys who prefers to do his business at the end of the season. He knows the most important thing is Aston Villa Football Club winning games. “His thinking is ‘I’d rather leave it as much as I possibly can’ and I think the players we’re working with understand that now.” Although he needs reinforcements in key areas, O’Neill is unlikely to turn the loans of Sotirios Kyrgiakos or Wayne Bridge into permanent transfers. Both players have been thrust into action due to injuries, but both would be expensive options in the summer. Although happy to have those options, Kyrgiakos has looked rusty in his three games, while Bridge is contracted until 2013 at Manchester City. O’Neill said: “I am very pleased that we took them on board and just delighted to have them within the squad because they have made a contribution. “I am just very pleased. If we hadn’t taken them on, I would have been very concerned. I am not so sure we would have been able to cope.” Meanwhile, former Black Cats chairman Sir Bob Murray has hailed O’Neill for building on his training ground legacy. Murray was responsible for building the Stadium of Light and the club’s excellent training facilities and the club’s Life President revealed that he had spoken to O’Neill since he took over. “Martin’s been very kind and complimentary and appreciative in what he’s said, but the most important thing is he’s putting it to good use,” he said. “I enjoy the games much more now I'm not chairman and I’m really delighted (current owner and chairman) Ellis (Short) has taken my legacy and got Martin O’Neill to use it. I think that’s a great move, I’m delighted with that. “I remember when the lads used to go to Roker Park, get changed, jump in their own cars, go down to Cleadon, come back dirty and go back to Roker in their own cars. It wasn’t that long ago! “I bought the Charlie Hurley Centre for the club from Bartrams, the shipbuilders, when they went under. That was their sports centre. I bought that for the club and the council let us play football on it.” Read More http://www.journallive.co.uk/safc/s...-sunderland-afc-61634-30656422/#ixzz1rTiywJEs
Adam Johnson 'set for Manchester City exit with Sunderland interested' Adam Johnson is facing an uncertain future at Manchester City, but his hometown club Sunderland are reportedly ready to offer him a way out of the Etihad Stadium. . The England winger's inconsistency has frustrated Citizens boss Roberto Mancini for some time and the 24-year-old has spent much of the season on bench duty. Adam Johnson may soon be on his way from Manchester City (PA) Mancini indicated this week he was running out of patience with Johnson. When asked about the thorny issue of his relationship with Mario Balotelli, the City manager said: 'With Mario it's difficult. Bad or good behaviour, it's Mario, [but] Mario is different from Adam Johnson. 'I'm not arguing with Adam because also Adam has a good talent, but also it's important he puts this on the pitch, this talent. Sometime he doesn't do this.' . Sunderland boss Martin O'Neill is now monitoring the situation with a view to making a bid when the summer transfer window opens, reports the Daily Star Sunday. Johnson cost City £7million when he arrived from Middlesbrough in 2010 and the Citizens would want to at least make their money back, if Mancini gives him the green light to leave. Black Cats fans have already seen the best of Johnson, who scored a sensational goal at the Stadium of Light in his first season at City. . Read more: http://www.metro.co.uk/sport/895535...exit-with-sunderland-interested#ixzz1rWvkOh1E
I think we will be linked with pretty much every Villa player because of the O'Neill connection. Hes not known for bringing talent in from abroad so I expect us to buy from other PL or Championship teams
think the club need to look into the foreign market as Newcastle have proved there is good players to be had at good value for money, we also know this with the signings of Cana and Sess over the last couple of years. Players who we should be atleast monitoring.... LB - Cheikh M'Bengue (Toulouse) [video=youtube;5RNQLYFhQxQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RNQLYFhQxQ&feature=related[/video] RB - Rod Fanni (Marseille) [video=youtube;ef18fV-pf0g]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ef18fV-pf0g[/video] CB - Stephane M'Bia (Marseille) [video=youtube;fecX0P-49I4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fecX0P-49I4[/video] CM - Etienne Capoue (Toulouse) [video=youtube;tiQES1y0-HM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiQES1y0-HM[/video] W - Miroslav Stoch (Fenerbahche) [video=youtube;EKrl3bwHGyM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKrl3bwHGyM[/video] W - Issier Dia (Fenerbahche) [video=youtube;W3Lhwb_Qbto]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3Lhwb_Qbto&feature=related[/video] CF - Asa Gyan (SUNDERLAND!!!!) [video=youtube;47mBG6XHgLU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47mBG6XHgLU[/video] CF - Mohammad Abdellaoue (Hannover) [video=youtube;CYGEnOvnaic]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYGEnOvnaic[/video] WOULD TAKE EVERY SINGLE 1 OF THEM, WOULD GUARENTEE US TOP 6
Haha Poolie see you slipped Gyan in there................. Reckon we should try for that Fanni, know nowt about him, but he sounds class........40k mackems chanting Fanni..........class.
CELTIC are ready to resurrect their interest in Craig Gordon, with the Scotland international’s future on Wearside increasingly precarious. Time is running out for Gordon to make an impression on Martin O’Neill with just three months left on the 29-year-old’s contract at the Stadium of Light. O’Neill told the Echo last week that he was considering handing the stopper an opportunity in the starting XI before the end of the campaign. But Gordon didn’t even make the bench for either of Sunderland’s Easter outings, with just five Premier League games remaining for the £9million man to make his first competitive appearance in 14 months. With no contract talks imminent, Celtic are mindful of Gordon’s position as potentially being one of the most attractive free transfers on the market this summer. Hoops boss Neil Lennon had considered taking Gordon on loan last summer, only for the move to be scuppered by his ongoing knee problems, plus wage levels at the Stadium of Light. Instead, Newcastle academy product Fraser Forster arrived on a second loan spell and the Magpies stopper has played a key part in helping Lennon’s side lift the SPL title. Celtic are hopeful of converting Forster’s loan into a £2m permanent switch during the summer. But should that move fall through, Gordon is Celtic’s chief contingency plan and are able to hold talks with the former Hearts man before the end of the season. O’Neill has said that he would ideally like to keep Gordon, Keiren Westwood and Simon Mignolet at Sunderland, but realises the difficulties of boasting three international keepers on the books. And given Gordon’s contract situation and doubts over his long-term fitness, he is by far the likeliest of the trio to depart Wearside in the summer. Meanwhile, Sunderland’s second string were due to entertain Aston Villa today in a behind-closed-doors Barclays Premier Reserve League North fixture at the Academy of Light.
whats the situation between hearts and celtic like??? i know this whould get him back in the scottish team if he started for them but they already have decent goalkeepers??
http://www.talksport.co.uk/magazine...hoilett-dembele-diakite-and-dempse-168941?p=2 Still think Sess will be off.
Not necessarily, think is family are living over here now and his kids are due to start school in the summer (obviously I don't know this for sure). If it's true then he wouldn't want to move them again and start settling in all over again unless they go back to France. We havnt been linked with him or anything but I wouldnt mind us moving for Carlos Vela from Arsenal wouldn't cost much and I always rated him, he's been on loan this year is the Spanish leagues and I'm not sure how he's got on.
Vela will never make it in England, he has such good tekkers, but he can be knocked off the ball with a fart. Real talented lad though.
what do you lot think about john guidetti [video=youtube;r-Al3krwX7c]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-Al3krwX7c[/video] He is a Swedish football striker who currently plays for Feyenoord in the Eredivisie on loan from Manchester City. He has scored 17 goals after 15 league appearances and had three hatricks in row after breaking into the team....(against the three top teams) He has said that he wants to be sold if he isnt in the team and we might be looking at him???
I can't see Mon buying youth unless we offload Ji and or Wickham, I feel he will go for experienced forwards who already play in the Pl. Guidetti looks a canny finisher but YouTube can make any player look awesome. Would I have him here? Yes Will Mon go for him? Probs not Aiden mcgeady is the latest name I've heard.
McGeady & Guidietti are both worth considering, a lad I play 5-a-side with is Feyenoord daft and he reckons Guidietti is mint, it is the Dutch league though! MON knows McGeady, and he's skilful with decent delivery and gets a few goals, he does go missing often though, he'd fit right in here...
Looks certain wolves are down so: Kevin Doyle or Steven Fletcher If blackburn go down: Hoilett or Yakubu or MGP Apart from that: Matty Phillips, Carlos Cuellar Btw a strange shout i admit but Paulo Ferrera? Out of contract this season and just wants to play footy i think, can serve as right or left back
