According to the Gazette SUNDERLAND are pulling out all the stops to sign Adam Johnson â and will not be beaten on either the transfer fee or wages. But the rival clubs chasing the winger are both top-eight sides, and the fear is that the 25-year-old might decide they offer him a better chance of success and of establishing himself in the England team. Sunderland must hope Martin OâNeillâs long-term ambitions and, perhaps, the pull of his native North East, will persuade the Easington-born midfielder to return home. The gazette understands that a total of FIVE Premier League clubs initially matched Manchester Cityâs £10m asking price for Johnson. The player has rejected the overtures of two of the five, but has not so far rebuffed Sunderlandâs interest. The Black Cats have ensured that as far as the three-horse races goes, they have given themselves the best chance of winning â chairman Ellis Short prepared to agree a financial deal which would satisfy the playerâs demands while at the same time meeting Cityâs valuation of the ex-Boro boy. The identity of the other two clubs Sunderland are now battling against is not entirely clear, but Spurs are believed to be the club in pole position at the moment, with new manager Andre Villas-Boas looking to put his own stamp on Harry Redknappâs squad. Sunderland though will continue to battle away for a player who came within a whisker of joining them under Steve Bruce, only for the Black Cats to be blown out of the water by Man Cityâs 11th hour swoop. The move to Eastlands suited both Johnson and City at the time, but the love affair has coolled markedly and although Blues boss Roberto Mancini chose his words carefully yesterday in the wake of his sideâs 3-2 win over Southampton, it seems almost certain the winger will leave the club by the end of the current transfer window. Mancini said: âAdam deserves to play because he is a good player, but it is not easy for me because I can only have 11 in my team. âEvery player who doesnât play is frustrated. I can understand that. âI will talk to him about what will happen now, but it is difficult to let him go because I need to have all my players at this moment. âWhen we start the Champions League, we hope to be playing a game every three days for 10 months, so it is not easy to decide about Adam.â Johnson himself wants his future resolved, believing his bit-part involvement in Manchester Cityâs Premier League winning campaign cost him his international place. âI will be speaking to him about my situation,â he said, referring to Mancini. âThereâs been no bust-up. âBut I think what happened to me at City last season was why I missed out at the Euros.â Johnson though appears to have already made his mind up to leave â just as striker Steven Fletcher already has at Wolves. Sunderland have far from given up hope of landing Fletcher.
No surprise..was told late last night that he was going to Spurs....likes the bright lights too much...come to think of it..I think I actually posted it on here last night in one of the other threads (the Johnson soon thread). Not trying to be a smart ass..its just reality..the boy likes his night life..and they can offer him European football
If he was interested in Sunderland he would have signed by now, when a London club comes into it then we have no chance, if he came here no matter how well he would do he would have no chance of playing for England
Depends who you read: Adam Johnson is set to swap Manchester City for Sunderland, according to the Sun. The fee for the transfer is believed to be around £10m. He earns around £75,000 a week at City and is set to join O’Neill and the Black Cats on a five-year deal. The £10m initial fee also includes various add-ons, which could ultimately take it as high as £15m. Johnson has really struggled for first-team appearances at the club as Mancini prefers him as more of an impact substitute. The City boss said: “Adam is a player who deserves to play because he is a good player but I can only play 11 players.” On his recent trip to Switzerland with the England camp Johnson admitted he was considering his future at the club after being frustrated on the bench. He said: “I’m the kind of player that needs to be playing regularly. Any player does really, no matter what age they are. I need to play week-in week-out. “You can’t just go into one game after not having played for five and be expected to perform. I’m not sure if I’ll get that chance at City.” Follow me on twitter @Rohil512.
Have faith.. If any manager has pulling power and the ability to motivate a player then Martin O'Neil is that man.. If he wants AJ he'll sell the clubs vision that will make it hard for a player to turn us down.. Let's not also forget at spurs AJ would have Bale and Lennon ahead of him and to compete with.. And he wants guaranteed regular first team football.. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see him wearing a Sunderland shirt before Friday.
to be honest lads if Tottenham or Liverpool are interested I don't think he'll go to Sunderland(nor everton, though I doubt we have bid)
Spot on this RAW, Roy will pick players form any club that benefit England. I personally agree that Lennon edges AJ, little quicker, little more direct & currently more consistent final ball, but AJ, with regular games, could easily pass him. He's not close to Bale, who is the leagues best wide player by a distance, but there's no shame in that, and to see he'd be a replacemnet for Modric, I can't see that, Modric is a ball playing playmaker, who keeps the ball close to his feet and pulls strings in the game, AJ isn't that. The lad would be an incredible signing for us, he'd develop rapidly as a player as he'd play 90mins every week, he'd be idolised, he'd be close to home, and if the stories are to be believed, there's no compromise on salary. 'the other 2 sides are top 8', well, we'd be pretty ****ing close with AJ & a striker, we'd have and extra 3-4k on the home gates, the club would see a buzz similar to the wonderful Reidy years. I hope AJ considers this , the fact that moving here he could be the spearhead of a massive boom period for the club, potentially. Shogan, hi mate, good to see you, why the **** would he go to Liverpool man, Spurs are the threat, no question.
I think we have a good chance of getting him for several reasons: 1. We can offer him guaranteed first team football. At Spurs he will have to compete with Bale (the finest left winger in the country) and Lennon (who while not being amazing is a popular player at Spurs). Hodgson, unlike his predecessor, seems to be aware that the footballing world in Britain stretches beyond London, Manchester, Liverpool and Aston Villa, so it needn't necessarily harm his England prospects. 2. We look a bit more stable than the other two, who have recently appointed new managers who will need to prove themselves. I'm not saying we will finish above either of them, but if results don't go well then AVB and Rodgers could find themselves under pressure at clubs where expectation levels are high, and this unstable environment could be a potential problem. 3. We seem to have enough money to spend to match his wage demands and transfer fee. 4. As a local lad he won't have any problem settling in. He may have been a Newcastle fan as a kid, but he's said in interviews that because all his family are Mackems and he used to play for Boro he wants all of the North East teams to do well. He's also mates with Cattermole from their time at Boro. That said, if we get him I will be positively over the moon, even on his own he could be the difference between lower mid-table and a top half finish for us IMO.
Another thing with Spurs, is they are still trying to get Adabayor AND another striker, as well as a CM to replace Modric. As a financially brilliantly run club, does an excess winger, on a big fee & tasty wage, even make sense?
To be honest lads the only thing that will get him coming to us will be first team football and, currently at Spurs he won't get that nor at Liverpool regularly anyway. The only thing I can see edging it for Spurs is if Bale was on the move, I know he has just signed a new contract but that means jack these days just a thought mind could well be wrong (again).
Whilst I doubt very much he will go to Liverpool, I have personally seen him in the San Carlo Bar, Castle Street a few times with Bollotelli and Gamst Pederson gettin rat arsed...but has I have previously stated, an excellent source of mine has told me hes off to Spurs
Obviously there's logic that Spurs are a draw, way ahead of us, attacking, Europa football, London, but I think he wants to move for his career, and he will not play every week at Spurs, plain & simple. I still can't see us getting him, but we have a shot, and if we do, what a ****ing signing.
I'm putting my money in he will in our starting 11 against Reading on Saturday. I feel really confident he will sign.
I'm keeping a lid on it, I was ****ing gutted when we missed out last time, because we dallied over it.
