Linked with yet another Defensive Midfielder!

Apparently Josuha Guilavogui has come out and said that Sunderland are interested in him. He's a 22 year old who plays in the French 1st division.

Anyone know anything about him?

http://www.journallive.co.uk/safc/safc-news/2013/06/08/black-cats-want-me-says-les-bleus-star-josuha-guilavogui-61634-33443802/

SUNDERLAND have an interest in Saint-Étienne midfielder Josuha Guilavogui, according to the player himself.

But the Black Cats face competition from Galatasaray for the newly-capped French international, while Guilavogui has revealed he would prefer to stay with his Ligue One club.

Paolo Di Canio’s squad is set for a major overhaul during his first transfer window at the helm, after a dismal season saw the club finish just one place and three points above the Premier League relegation zone.

That process moved on a stage yesterday with official publication of the list of players being released on free transfers by top-flight clubs confirming the availability of Titus Bramble and Matthew Kilgallon, along with Anthony Callaghan, Wade Joyce, Ryan Noble, Adam Reed and Ben Wilson.

Duncan Watmore has already joined from Altrincham, while Modibo Diakité, Valentin Roberge, Cabral and El-Hadji Ba have all been lined up to join Sunderland when they become free agents on July 1.

But Guilavogui appears unlikely to follow them to Wearside.

The 22-year-old has been likened to former Arsenal midfielder Patrick Vieira, and made his debut for Les Bleus in Tuesday’s 1-0 friendly defeat to Uruguay in Montevideo.





His performances for St Etienne during the past campaign – in which they finished fifth – saw him included in Ligue One’s ‘Team of the Season’. That, according to Guilavogui, has sparked interest from both Sunderland and Turkish outfit Galatasaray, but while refusing to rule out a move away from France, the player appears reluctant to force his own departure and remains hopeful his club share his viewpoint.

“My agent told me about it,” said Guilavogui, of Sunderland and Galatasaray’s interest. “I think I’ll have a discussion with my agent and Saint-Étienne to see what we’re going to do. I think they’re going to want to keep me. I hope so. If they want me to go, it’s going to be a bit tough.

“But the question has to be asked, a lot of things come into the equation, and the fact I work with agents means I need to talk to them.”

Sources in Italy yesterday also linked Sunderland with Inter Milan midfielder Joel Obi.

The 22-year-old appears to be surplus to requirements at the San Siro, where new coach Walter Mazzarri is planning a summer clearout following a disappointing ninth-place finish in Serie A.

A poor injury record has limited the Nigerian international’s appearances to just 56, scoring only once, since his 2010 debut.

But he is understood to have been on the Black Cats’ radar in the past, and the club’s new Italian-orientated set-up – with director of football Roberto De Fanti and technical director Valentino Angeloni advising Di Canio – could be behind a revival of interest in Obi, particularly as Angeloni was previously Inter’s chief scout.

Meanwhile, sources in the midlands claim Leicester City and Nottingham Forest are monitoring Keiren Westwood’s situation.

Though they have rejected two bids – of £1.25 million and £1.75 million – from Hull City, the Foxes look likely to lose Kasper Schmeichel this summer, and Forest youth team graduate Karl Darlow, though highly rated, remains a raw talent.

Westwood (pictured below) admitted this week that he may be forced to leave Wearside if playing second fiddle to Simon Mignolet continued to leave him doing likewise, to Millwall’s David Forde, at international level, though the Republic of Ireland star may have been moved to alter his thinking following the subsequent claims by Mignolet’s agent that his client is “unlikely” to extend his current Sunderland contract.

 

Dorset, I know feck all about ALL our new targets/signings mate. Not a bloody inkling.


I only hope PDC and the clubs 'newly appointed' scouts do thats all, otherwise we are going to have a team full of utter second rate, unknown ****e again next season?

 

At least Cest for the moment we have the hope they are world beaters unlike our current players who we know are ****e.

 

Cest
I am exactly like you I know nothing about any of them but its not as if we are bursting the bank at the moment the players coming in cost nothing and all they are getting is the wages from the players leaving.
I still think we will spend about £15 million somewhere.
Another player linked is Man Citys John Guidetti we were linked with this guy last year

 

Don't rate this lad, nothing special about him in my eyes.

Good player, but St Etienne have had a great season and I'd be surprised if he repeated it.

 

really?

I have to admit the first I seen of this lad was a youtube clip the other day all taken from one game against Bordeaux and he looked decent, always wanting the ball, decent passing range and gets things going, exactly what we lack in CM

obv. you can make anyone look good on youtube

[video=youtube;3Yn3W_twi50]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Yn3W_twi50[/video]

 

I have to say that it doesn't look good for Catts, when we are being linked with so many defensive midfielders. I'm comfortable with the players we are being linked with because I just can't see any ****e signings coming through the door at the SoL. The homework will have been done on every player that we do sign, so I'm just going to sit back and relax.

Think we are in for a better season than the last one, which isn't difficult to achieve!

 

Not suggesting he's a poor player Poolie, you don't get France caps, I'm suggesting it may be a bit premature.

He looks very similar to Bacral in my eyes, and Cabral seems to drive the game more.