Muntari/Sess and Bent update

Steve Bruce is hoping Sulley Muntari and Stephane *Sessegnon can end his *winter of discontent
Tuesday January 25,2011
By Niall Hickman Have your say(0)
SUNDERLAND boss Steve Bruce is hoping Sulley Muntari and Stephane *Sessegnon can end his *winter of discontent by moving to the Stadium of Light to plug the gap left by Darren Bent’s departure.


Both are close to completing a move to the North-east as Bruce is desperate for reinforcements following Bent’s switch to Aston Villa last week.

Midfielder Sessegnon, who can also play up front, is available for £5million from Paris St G ermain, while Muntari, the former Portsmouth playmaker, is also pondering an offer to join Sunderland.


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Muntari’s agent Fabien Piveteau claims the player is on the verge of moving and dismissed any suggestion he was set to turn to either Tottenham, Liverpool or Everton instead.

Piveteau said: “We hope to have everything sorted shortly, maybe by Tuesday . He knows Sunderland is a good club, possibly not the biggest, but he wants to be playing football.

“The other Ghana players at Sunderland [Asamoah Gyan and John Mensah] have told him about the club, which has obviously played a part.”

An incoming deal would give Bruce some cheer after facing disappointment – and flak – in the wake of Bent’s transfer. Several media outlets accused Bruce of gross hypocrisy over Bent’s decision to go to Villa Park, saying Bruce himself was a serial switcher whil e cutting his managerial teeth, bolting in and out of five clubs in just three years.

But much of the criticism was unjustified because Bruce did not accuse Bent of disloyalty.

Having been in the game a long time as a player and manager, he is fully aware of the ‘rules’. Bruce believes players have every right to move club whenever they see fit because they have relatively short careers and serious injury is always just one tackle away.


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He did not complain about the move itself but showed his bitterness over the timing – and being kept out of the loop.

Bent could have spoken to his manager in the latter months of last year and expressed his desire to seek a new challenge in this January transfer window.

Bear in mind, too, that Bent had received a handsome contract bonus for staying put at the start of this season, after he initially flirted with interest from Turkey’s Fenerbahce.

But Bent, according to Bruce, said nothing . Villa’s £24million bid was offered on the day before the North-east derby on January 16 and Bent put in a transfer request the next day, two hours after the match finished.

Bruce was mortified, after helping to revive Bent’s career at club and international level.

Bent may argue that he was under no obligation to give any such courtesy to Bruce, which is perhaps an indictment of the modern game and indeed the modern player.

A few weeks ago, Bruce admonished his star striker during half-time after a pallid 45 minutes, demanding to know where the real Darren Bent had gone.

The player had shown little appetite for the game.

As is his wont, Bruce peppered the conversation with a few choice expletives, which Bent apparently did not appreciate.

Fast forward to January 18 and Bruce had the answer to his question. The real Darren Bent was off to Villa, to luxuriate in his £70,000-a-week deal.

Bruce is now having to scratch around for replacements. Not an easy matter with the January window soon closing.

So if either Muntari or Sessegnon – or anyone else on the club’s radar – roll up on Wearside between now and deadline day on Monday, it will help apply a soothing balm.

For Sunderland’s Bruce is still feeling mighty sore.

 

Good post, very informative. Hope we sign someone before the Chelsea game.

 

hey sydney old chap its not to bad in sunny doncaster i'll have u know lol
anyway in all seriousness i believe sess and muntari and pav if my cuz is correct (not holding my breath for the latter) would be enough to push us into europe matey

 

I like Doncaster, have relations there.

 

its ok m8

 

Thanks for the update Cyprus, I'm confident we can bring somebodies in but when Harry 'and his brown envelopes' Redknapp is looking at the same players I'm always a bit wary!! Pull of London clubs etc.

 

@Rackem' For Mackem