Sunderland are reported to be seriously in search for a new central defender ahead of the coming season. The club has made the finding a priority, according to reports.
The club released Wes Brown from his current deal after their last season performances. Brown spent five years at the club but the consistent injuries made the club trigger the release. The player joined from Manchester United for over a million Pounds in transfer fee. He was developed by the Red Devils academy until he joined the senior team far back in 1996. The 36-year old player English played over 350 games for Manchester United before his move to Sunderland.
Captain John O’Shea is also approaching the final 12 months of his Black Cats deal, forcing the club to look out for decent central defenders to fill the void.
The club made acquiring Tomkins from West Ham a priority, but the Hammers have put a £12m price tag on the 27-year-old player. Sunderland would need to spend a lot to land the player but they are hesitant based on the age of the defender. He was set to arrive at the club during the January transfer window but the deal fell through. The price tag might not allow the deal go through this time around again.
Following a frustrating time last season, Sunderland midfielder Seb Larsson might decide to leave the club. He is yet to decide as he is away on national duty at the Euro 2016 in France. Larsson started just five Premier League games last season and is approaching the last year of his Sunderland contract. There are reports that Leeds United have approached the player for a move away from the Stadium of Light but the no news has been heard from the player’s camp.