Netherlands international signs four-year deal. Sunderland AFC has confirmed the signing of Dutch international forward Jeremain Lens. The 27-year-old, who plays as a striker or on the wing, has joined from Ukrainian side FC Dynamo Kyiv for an undisclosed fee, signing a four-year deal. Lens has played in both the UEFA Champions League and Europa League, reaching the quarter-finals of the latter competition last season. Having worked with Sunderland head coach Dick Advocaat at PSV and AZ Alkmaar, the two are now reunited on Wearside. Speaking about the move, Sunderland’s Head Coach said: “We have signed an international player and I am delighted to welcome him to Sunderland. “He is a very well-known player in Europe and has played over 30 games for the Dutch national side, which shows his calibre. “I have worked with him twice already, at PSV and AZ, so I know him well; he is fast and he has scored goals everywhere he has played so that will help the team.” The Amsterdam-born forward has been capped 30 times by his native Holland, scoring eight goals. Lens began his career with AZ Alkmaar picking up an Eredivisie winners’ medal in 2008-09, before moving to PSV in May 2010, working again with Advocaat when he took charge of the club in 2012, while the player has won Dutch Super Cups with both clubs. Overall, Lens scored 34 league goals in 96 games for PSV, where he won the KNVB Cup in 2011-12. Speaking about the signing, the Black Cats sporting director Lee Congerton added: “We’re absolutely delighted to sign a player of Jeremain’s quality, who has Champions League experience and is a regular for Holland, one of the world’s strongest national teams.” “He’s a direct and quick player with or without the ball and those characteristics are something we’ve been lacking as a side.” The forward moved to Kyiv in June 2013 and enjoyed a successful two seasons with the club, winning the Ukrainian cup in his first campaign and following up with a league and cup double last season. Lens was part of the Dutch side which finished third at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. He also played a key role in helping the side qualify under Louis van Gaal, scoring five goals and adding five assists during the group qualification stage.
Someone will soon be along to claim he's shyte ........ probably the ones who claimed we'd missed out on Riviére
Two more of a similar standard in and we're looking like an established premier league side for the first time in decades.
Plenty of time. When the top four, in each country, have made their signings the surplus players will become available. I'm more confident than ever about the season.
Wonder where he'll play? Dick used him as a striker mostly. I'm half expecting a quick adaptive front three who switch about with and AM behind the three with Cats and seb behind. With extra width from the fullbacks.
As far as I know the transfer window shuts in six weeks, transfers can easily be wrapped up within six days. I think people forget it's not Joe Kinnear running the club.
I may be reading too much into yesterday's performance but Defoe looked mainly disinterested in the game. On his way to the south coast?
I only saw the first half hour but he mainly just stood about on the left then swapped with Wickham and stood about in the middle instead. the south coast bit was about Bournemouth's alleged interest.
Jermain Defoe admits he wants to play as an orthodox centre-forward, even if he accepts that minutes on the field are the vital factor at this stage of pre-season.Defoe was bought by Sunderland from MLS outfit Toronto last January charged with improving the Black Cats’ goal return, but has been forced to broaden his skill-set under Dick Advocaat’s stewardship. The England striker spent much of Sunderland’s run-in last season out wide, while he was used as a left winger during the first half of today’s friendly defeat to Sacramento Republic, before being moved inside into an orthodox 4-4-2 after the break. But Defoe clearly doesn’t want to remain there next season, with the 32-year-old eager to spearhead Advocaat’s attack for his first full season in charge. He told the Echo: “You want to play in your favourite position; the position you’ve been playing in for your whole career. “I’ve never played on the left wing in my whole career. I’m not a left winger, I’m a striker. “But pre-season is about fitness. “You just want to see it as a start of things really. “As players, you want to get through the pre-season and not pick up any injuries. “But the most important thing is to be ready for that first game of the season against Leicester.” While Sunderland’s fitness levels will have been improved by a second friendly outing of the summer, Defoe admits that the Black Cats should still have been coming away with a victory against Sacramento - currently in the third tier of the US football pyramid. Sunderland were the better side for the opening 45 minutes, when Steven Fletcher came closest to breaking the deadlock with a header against the bar. But following four changes at the interval, Sunderland were on the back foot for the vast majority of the second half. “Yes, it’s all about minutes on the pitch, but it’s also about winning games,” said Defoe. “The manager said it’s all about getting fitness and preparing for that first game of the season so we’ll see what happens. “I know it’s pre-season, but you still want to try to win games. “They were a decent team and they’re sharp, because they’re midway through their season. “But it would have been nice to win every pre-season game and then for me, you can take that into the season. “We just have to keep working hard, training hard, make sure everyone’s fit and then start the season strong.” This will probs explain why he was subdued last night. He hates playing left wing.
I doubt Defoe wants to leave but to be honest I don't blame him at all for not being happy about playing out of position. He shouldn't be covering for defenders and making last ditch tackles he should be playing off the last man.
