Sunderland A.F.C 2023/2024

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Chris Rigg tehnyt jatkosopparin

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Bradley Dack joins SAFC!

Sunderland AFC is delighted to announce the signing of Bradley Dack.

The attacking midfielder arrives on Wearside following a six-year spell at Blackburn Rovers, signing an initial one-year deal with a Club option of an additional year.

Dack made 173 appearances during his time at Ewood Park, including 33 last season, and he scored 57 goals and contributed 34 assists.

Prior to joining Rovers, the 29-year-old progressed through Gillingham's youth ranks before registering 38 goals and 34 assists in 185 appearances for the Kent-based Club.

Dack's decade-long association with the Gills also included a brief loan spell at Braintree Town, with the midfielder returning to Priestfield Stadium to be part of the Club's 2012-13 promotion-winning side.

A two-time EFL League One Player of the Year and PFA League One Player of the Year, he was also named Blackburn's Player of the Year after firing the Club to promotion to the Championship alongside Tony Mowbray in 2017-18.

After arriving on Wearside, Dack said: “It feels brilliant to be here. It’s clear to see the Club is on an upwards trajectory and it’s great to be on board. To play in front of 40,000 people every week at the Stadium of Light was a huge pull for me, there’s not many teams in England can produce those numbers. I hope my experience and style of play can add something different to the group, and I can’t wait to pull on the shirt for the first time.”

Sporting Director Kristjaan Speakman added: "We are delighted to welcome Bradley to Sunderland AFC. He’s an attacking midfielder with different qualities to others we have within the squad, and we feel he can add a different dimension to our team. He brings a wealth of experience, but also a personality that can help us on and off the field. It’s great to welcome him to the Club and to see him so excited by the opportunity this move represents.”

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Eliezer Mayenda signs for Sunderland AFC!

Sunderland AFC is delighted to announce the signing of Eliezer Mayenda.

The 18-year-old striker has signed a five-year contract at the Stadium of Light, arriving from Sochaux for an undisclosed fee.

Mayenda made 20 appearances last season – 15 in Ligue 2 and five for Sochaux B in the Championnat National 3 – and scored four times.

Born in Zaragoza, the Spain Under-17 international became the French outfit's youngest-ever player when he debuted in December 2021 aged 16 years and seven months in a Coupe de France tie versus Nantes.

Mayenda joined up with his team-mates on Friday ahead of their penultimate pre-season outing against Real Mallorca at the Stadium of Light.

Mayenda commented: “I am very happy to be here because that is what I wanted. It is a historic Club in England and it's a Club that I already knew about so I was very excited to come here. I really wanted to take up the new challenge."

Sporting Director Kristjaan Speakman added: “Eliezer is an exciting, quick and direct player, who's equally effective with the ball to feet or running beyond opponents. We are delighted to welcome him to Sunderland AFC and I’m sure our fans will enjoy watching him and following his journey with us. He’ll naturally need some time to adapt and integrate, but he’s full of ambition and I know how much he’s looking forward to showing everyone what he's capable of.”

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Mielenkiintoisia hakuja

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Mielenkiintoisia hakuja

No nyt on kyllä. Tästä Sunderlandin nuoriin pelaajiin keskittyvästä hankintapolitiikasta ei voi kuin tykätä. Tuo Rigg on myös mielenkiintoinen seurattava lähivuosina.

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Seuraavat hankinnat huhujen mukaan ovat Unitedin maalivahti Nathan Bishop ja taustoihin ollaan värväämässä paikallista David Brucea, joka toimii tällä hetkellä MLS:n organisaatiossa "chief marketing officer" tittelillä.

Uudemmissa huhuissa neuvotteluita käydään myös PSG:n laitapuolustajasta Colin Dagbasta, joka vietti viime kauden lainalla Strasbourgissa.

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Nathan Bishop signs for SAFC!

Sunderland AFC is delighted to announce the signing of Nathan Bishop.

Arriving from Manchester United for an undisclosed fee, the 23-year-old goalkeeper has put pen-to-paper on a three-year deal at the Stadium of Light.

Bishop’s career began with non-league side Southend United where he made 39 appearances before completing a permanent move to Old Trafford in January 2020.

He spent the 2021-22 season on loan at League Two side Mansfield, with the Stags reaching the Play-Off final at Wembley Stadium before losing out to Port Vale. He featured in every league game that season, whilst registering 16 clean sheets in all competitions.

Having spent the summer with Man Utd on their tour of the USA, Bishop now links up with Tony Mowbray’s first-team squad ahead of the new Sky Bet Championship season.

 Bishop said: “You see the direction that the Club is going, playing young players and allowing them to express themselves and push on in a great league. I think that is so exciting, so I want to come in and earn the right to play for such a great team and a great Club.”

 Sporting Director Kristjaan Speakman added: “Nathan’s a player we have been tracking for some time and we’ve stayed patient to complete this transfer. He’s ambitious, positive and focused on improving and trying to earn a place in the starting eleven. We want a challenging environment on the grass every day and we believe Nathan can add to what we feel is a really strong group of goalkeepers. We thank Man Utd for their collaboration on this – it’s not always easy to align at the right moment, but we are happy Nathan is here prior to the season commencing."

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Heikosti on kausi alkanut. Sarjassa kahdesti takkiin 1-2 lukemin ja EFL Cupistakin tuli heti lähtö kotikentällä pari sarjatasoa alempana pelaavaa joukkuetta vastaan... Onhan etenkin yläkertaan tullut useampi uusi pelaaja, joten joukkueen yhteenhitsautuminen ottaa aikansa. Kovin montaa tappiota ei silti enää kestäisi ottaa tähän alkuun.

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Jos pitäisi veikata, niin tästä päivästä on tulossa kiireinen.

Stewartia ja Robertsia huhuillaan Sotoniin, Gooch menossa Stokeen ja Clarke, sekä Pritchard kysymysmerkkejä.

Tämähän tarkoittaisi käytännössä sitä, että sisään pitäisi tuoda ainakin pari hyökkääjää ja kuten tiedetään, niin helpommin sanottu kuin tehty.

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Ilmeisesti Ross the Boss lähtee. Jos myös Roberts poistuu niin silloin menee vaikeaksi.

Mason Burstow Chelseasta tilalle.

Viimeisinpänä ehkä vähän outona Dan Neilin siirtohuhu Pooliin Ei Neil ihan niin hyvällä tasolla ole ollut.

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Ilmeisesti Ross the Boss lähtee. Jos myös Roberts poistuu niin silloin menee vaikeaksi.

Uusimpien tietojen mukaan kumpikaan ei olisi välttämättä siirtymässä.

Nazariy Rusyn siirtyy Wearsidelle, Ukrainan pääsarjan FK Zorja Luhanskista. Kyseessä hyökkääjä, joka oli viime kaudella kotimaan sarjansa parhaita maalintekijöitä.

Myös mainittu Mason Burstow on siirtymässä Chelseasta.

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Joukkue on hyvässä iskussa ja viimeisestä kuudesta pelistä on saldona viisi voittoa. Sijoitus tällä hetkellä neljäs.

Eilen viimeksi kaatui kotona Watford, maalein 2-0. Maalintekijöinä Huggins ja Ba.

Tammikuun ikkunassa kävi ovi tiheään ja viimeinkin tuo pelaajalista on päivitetty ajantasalle.

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Hienoa on ollut seurata Mustien Kissojen marssia. Dan Ballard ja Jack Clarke olivat alun alkaenkin potentiaalisia kavereita ja nyt näyttäisivät puhjenneen lopullisesti kukkaan.

Laaja on materiaali: Jo pelkästään keskikentällä vaatimattomasti 13 ukkoa...

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Hienoa on ollut seurata Mustien Kissojen marssia. Dan Ballard ja Jack Clarke olivat alun alkaenkin potentiaalisia kavereita ja nyt näyttäisivät puhjenneen lopullisesti kukkaan.

Laaja on materiaali: Jo pelkästään keskikentällä vaatimattomasti 13 ukkoa...

Jack Clarke on huippuiskussa tällä hetkellä ja Ballard tuntuu myös ottavan jatkuvasti steppejä eteenpäin, olet aivan oikeassa.

Tuossa mun jaottelussa toki moni enemmänkin laitahyökkäjätyyppinen tai kymppipaikan pelaaja, kuin puhdas keskikenttä, mutta kyllä tuosta laajaa materiaalia tähän sarjaan löytyy.

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Ja heti kun pääsi vähän kehaisemaan niin eikös joukkue ota kotona 0-4 daijuun naapuri Borolta... Niin tyypillistä.

No Sundeland on sarjassa edelleen neljäntenä eli rumasta tappiosta huolimatta tilanne on edelleen kohtalaisen hyvä.

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Patrick Roberts signs long-term contract!

Sunderland AFC is delighted to announce that Patrick Roberts has signed a new contract at the Stadium of Light.

The 26-year-old has committed his future to the Club until summer 2026, agreeing a long-term deal that includes a Club option of a further year.

Roberts moved to Wearside in January 2022 and made an instant impact, featuring on 17 occasions as the Black Cats earned promotion to the Sky Bet Championship via the EFL Play-Offs.

The forward scored a last-gasp winner to defeat Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough Stadium in the semi-finals, prior to producing another standout display when Wycombe Wanderers were beaten at Wembley Stadium.

Roberts continued to be ever-present during the Club’s return to the second tier, which culminated in a top-six finish, as he contributed five goals and seven assists in 42 league outings.

The former Fulham and Manchester City winger has featured 14 times during the current campaign, taking his Club appearance tally to 79.

After putting pen to paper, Roberts said: “I’ve enjoyed every moment of being here and I’m delighted to get the deal done. The supporters have been great with me and it’s been an enjoyable journey so far, and long may that continue. Sunderland is a huge club with huge expectations – I can’t wait for the next few years together and hopefully we’ll have more success along the way.”

Sporting Director Kristjaan Speakman added: “Patrick has been at the heart of our progress throughout the last two seasons, and he has grown into an important member of our group. He possesses some elite qualities and at the age of 26, we firmly believe he can continue to develop, improve and evolve. We are really happy that he has signed a new deal and his commitment to the Club not only signifies his belief in our progression, but also our constant pursuit to improve.”