us Poyet has urged Connor Wickham to determine his own future amid talk of him signing a pre-contract agreement with a foreign club in January. The Sunderland boss has taken a swipe at those advising the 21-year-old and has even warned that they won’t be forgotten when it comes to future deals with other players. Wickham is out of contract in the summer and is free to discuss terms with foreign clubs from the New Year. A move abroad, however, would significantly reduce the compensation received by the Black Cats. And Poyet said: ‘Sometimes people don’t want to agree. They want to play a certain way. They want to tell you we will take him to Europe so the club has to pay us less compensation. ‘Fair enough, we know who we are dealing with. You know who you are dealing with for the rest of your life, not just one deal. It’s not a problem, everyone has a reputation. ‘Here we are talking about players, agents, family. Last time I was talking about Connor, the father was quick to reply. Now we’ll see who is going to make the decision about staying at the football club or going to play abroad. ‘My advice is to make the decision yourself. If he makes the decision I will respect it, good or bad.’ Sportsmail understands that Wickham is not agitating for a move away from the Stadium of Light and remains in discussions over a new deal with sporting director Lee Congerton and chief executive Margaret Byrne. However, the £8million striker – signed by Steve Bruce in 2011 – has been used in a wide-left position of late rather than his preferred central role, from where he scored four goals to help keep Sunderland in the Premier League during the closing weeks of last season.
Poyet told the Echo: “You need to look at things from his side as well. “But what I would say to him, is make your decision based on you and your football. What he wants. “Of course, the money comes into it, but it needs to be a footballing decision. “If he makes the wrong decision to go somewhere and then he doesn’t play a game, what do you gain? “Me, I would like him to stay because if not, I wouldn’t be playing him. “If he decides the opposite, we’ll decide how to use him until the last minute.” Poyet angered the Wickham camp during pre-season when he declared that Sunderland would have to sell the striker – the hero of last year’s escape from relegation – if he didn’t sign a new contract. But despite talks coming to nought during the summer, the Black Cats rejected a couple of offers around the £5m mark from West Ham. However, with both parties no nearer to a resolution, there remains the possibility that Wickham could be offloaded in the January transfer window. “It’s negotiations,” added Poyet. “I think unfortunately we are in a world where something is always coming out. “When I said that Connor would sign a new contract or he’d go, I remember his family and father got upset with me. “He said if there’s nothing to sign, then how is he going to sign it. “But I was saying that there would be a decision to make that would be simple. That doesn’t make it the right decision. “Now, if he wants to stay here until the end of his contract, and he’s playing, and then he’s free, you lose. “But let’s remember until April, he never played regularly for this football club. “I remember that. Now he’s playing a few games.”
Basically seeing what a few on here thought. The "threat" to move abroad is trying to force Sunderland into a silly money offer. And Poyet is telling Connor to decide. I'll be amazed if there's any interest from abroad. He also won't even get what he's on now in most foreign clubs. So his representatives can go **** themselves. (That also, in not so many words, seems to be what poyet is telling them too!)
interesting. Connor is with Stellar Football LTD, this is their client list. Gareth Bale Luke Shaw Joe Hart Wojciech Szczesny Rafael Glen Johnson Gylfi Sigurdsson Jonjo Shelvey Steven Caulker Robert Snodgrass Phil Jagielka Connor Wickham Nathan Dyer Scott Sinclair Andre Wisdom Fraizer Campbell Fábio Steven Naismith Jonathan Howson Darren Bent Kieran Trippier Terence Kongolo Kenwyne Jones Martin Kelly Lee Cattermole Danny Simpson James Collins Graham Dorrans Alex Baptiste Leon Osman Ashley Cole Nedum Onuoha Gary O'Neil Peter Crouch Anthony Stokes Matthew Taylor Keiren Westwood Carlton Cole Jonathan Parr Sylvain Distin Andy Wilkinson
