From the Journal today. MARTIN OâNeillâs first signing of the summer has arrived on a free transfer â but the Sunderland boss will be given significant funds to strengthen his squad with two or three pedigree captures this close season. The Black Cats completed the capture of defender Carlos Cuellar yesterday morning, snapping up the Spaniard for free following his release from Aston Villa. While OâNeill is looking at other free agents this summer, The Journal can reveal owner Ellis Short is prepared to back his complimentary words on the manager with a sizeable transfer budget. The money has been set aside to help OâNeill to give Sunderland more cutting edge next season. He wants at least one striker and a winger â and is also looking for a creative central midfielder to supplement his existing crop of players. The Journal understands the cash could be use to fund a loan move for Adam Johnson, who remains a priority target despite talk the Black Cats could not match his Manchester City wages. Sunderland want to play Wearside-born Johnson on the right of midfield with James McClean slated for a left-wing slot in a new-look forward line which could be spearheaded by their top striker target Stephen Fletcher. The Black Cats kick-started their recruitment drive yesterday by clinching a deal for Spanish defender Cuellar, who said the appeal of working with OâNeill was a major factor in deciding to snub interest from Spain and Greece. He said: âEver since I heard the rumour Sunderland were interested in signing me I wanted to come here. âTo work again with the gaffer Martin OâNeill, and with everyone talking so well about the club, I did not have any problem and said straight away I wanted to come. OâNeill is so clever, he knows everyone very well and knows how to push everyone to get one hundred per cent out of them. He gets the best from every player and brings them together to make his teams very competitive. Everyone has told me the atmosphere in the stadium is unbelievable and I know this from playing against Sunderland in the past. It is very important to feel that support when you are playing. I am the happiest man to be here, to work and try to show my skills and quality. I think we are going to be a hard team to beat.We have good players with quality and can play face-to-face against everyone in the league.â Cuellar endured a frustrating season at Villa last year but remains a talented and versatile player. His arrival will raise fresh questions about the future of Sunderlandâs central defenders with Matt Kilgallon, Michael Turner and Titus Bramble all available if the Black Catsâ valuation is matched. Cuellar added: âHe did so well at Villa. I know how hard he works and what he can do with his teams. The manager is one of the best. He knows me and I know him. Everything is easy. I have been happy working with him before I wanted to do that again.â Meanwhile, Sunderland will bide their time on top target Fletcher â who refuted stories in the Black Country which claimed he was about to slap in a transfer request to force a move from Wolves. The relegated club are making bullish noises behind-the-scenes about not wanting to let Fletcher leave but know their hand would be forced if he asked to leave. That remains an option, but Fletcher sent a tongue-in-cheek Tweet which read: âI ain't put no transfer request in â only request I have put in just now was for a side of fries with my chicken wrap at the pool.â Seems like there will be money to spend for Marty, if the right players are available? Got to be good news and a real sign that Ellis means business with his choice of manager. Lets face it, this is the first manager with a real reputation AND the ability to match it, that we have signed in my 38 seasons following the lads.
3 would do! Fletcher, Johnson & Manu Fernandes. As Manu Fernandes is free, we can snaffle a left back as well, I don't want Anita he's smaller than a kittens turd and may struggle (although he's a very tidy player), so add Ollson and we are good to go!
"The Journal can reveal owner Ellis Short is prepared to back his complimentary words on the manager with a sizeable transfer budget. The money has been set aside to help O’Neill to give Sunderland more cutting edge next season. He wants at least one striker and a winger – and is also looking for a creative central midfielder to supplement his existing crop of players." would love that to be... CF - Fletcher W - Johnson Creative CM - Fernandes three players who would add so much quality to our sides and would get us into the top 10 IMO
seems like we are on the same wavelength pal I just said I'd hope the 3 are them also lol yer add Olsson to that and maybe another striker on loan like Lukaku or Guidetti who we have both been linked with and I think 90% of our summer transfer in comings would be done
No man, everyone knows we have no money. Just look at who we've been linked with and the fact we haven't spent a gazillion pounds already in the window.
Been mentioning Olsson for a year or 2 so will be delighted if we get him. I'd still see us a striker light with the 4 I listed mind, so either of those 2 on loan would do nicely!
I think there would be a canny concensus of opinion if we signed Cuellar, Fletcher, Johnson, Fernandes, Olsson, Saha and also kept hold of Sessegnon as well. Thats a lot of Bosman signings with Fletcher and Johnson the bullk of the cash spent. Mignolet Bardsley, O Shea, Brown, Olsson Cattermole (c) Johnson, Fernandes, Sessegnon, McClean Fletcher Subs from: Westwood, Cuellar, Colback, Larsson, Saha, Campbell, Gardener, Meyler, Turner, Kilgallon, Wickham and Ji. Add a couple or 3 young lads and we have a decent squad.
yer I agree mate I think Olsson would be a very good signing and I rekon we could get him for around 3.5-4m which would be fantastic business. One of the Venky's blokes at Blackburn came out 2weeks ago and said if players do not want to stay regardless of how good they are they will be moved on and with reports that the lad has handed in a transfer request we should be in there like a shot. Must be abit of room freed up on our wage bill McCartney, Gordon and Riveros all gone along with the loan players, Malbranque went last summer who was on a canny bit and it looks like Richardson, Elmohamady, Angeleri and Gyan will all be off so I would imagine MoN will be able to bring a good few in. If we got the main 3 (Fletcher, Johnson (loan) and Fernandes (free agent).) along with Olsson, Guidetti or Lukaku on loan, a 3rd choice keeper and maybe another striker depending on what happens with Ji and Wickham if they go on loan (maybe Saha on a free?) we would certainly be looking strong all over the pitch.
would be very happy with that squad mate, if got Fernandes it would be interesting to see who was played next to him as both Catts and Colback are good players probs wud be more of a 2/3 in the midfield rather than 1/4 with Fernandes next to Catts and McClean, Sess and Johnson all infront. If we did hav those 5 players we would have the most creative midfield that I have ever seen since I have been following the lads
That's a smashing looking side by all accounts. Be close to the Reidy years in terms of attacking class. Yes ****ing please!
Is this the Manu Fernandes who's been at Besiktas? Wiki (not the best source) said he signed a three year contract a year ago. Why do we think he's free?
Just read he had a contract dispute... Anyone got any idea as to what that's about? Attitude problem or was he ****ed about?
No clue Disco, they had a few problems with lads breaking club curfews and ****e, maybe he ate a pork chop on the team bus? Actually, that's acceptable in Turkey I believe... **** knows.
http://www.goal.com/en-india/news/1...eep-fernandes-and-almeida?source=breakingnews This says he's still there. Poor source mind.
All of the Turkish press has been saying he's the new club captain next year. The contract dispute was over unpaid wages. They've had a bit of financial trouble recently. I think we can rule him out to be honest. Will cost mega bucks if we're going to sign him, the dispute seems to have been jumped on by our press and forgotten since.
Besiktas are apparently proper skint after giving out proper high wages to the likes of Quaresma, Simao and a few more of the lads that they have signed, Almeida and Fernandes. It was said that Besiktas could not pay Fernandes so the two parties came together and decided that it would be best to cancel the contract of the player and now he is a free agent. It has gone quiet on him over the last 3weeks or so but we have been linked and he would add the creativity in the centre that we lack, the lad can player a kill pass in between the full back and the centre back for the winger and in a counter attacking side (which MoN's team's play) then he would be outstanding IMO This lad would be a top signing and if we could get him we should, if we cannot we need a player with those qualities this summer IMO and reading the journal it seems like that will be the case.
Just two days ago... http://www.haber7.com/spor/haber/897770-besiktasin-kaptani-fernandes-olacak He was announced club captain.
http://www.bjk.com.tr/en/player/17/manuel_fernandes.html He's still on their official website as well. Sorry for pissing on the bonfire but it ain't happening.
I'm not even looking him up. He'll have retired by the time I search his name in google on my current form with breaking news.
