It has already been a busy deadline day on Wearside and with just under 11 hours of the window left to run, there remain a number of deals still very much in play.
As expected, Sunderland confirmed Alex Pritchard’s departure to Birmingham City for an undisclosed fee. The attacking midfielder has signed a two-and-a-half year deal to make the move and though his final week at the club proved to be an acrimonious one, both parties have made a concerted effort to draw a line under saga and part on good terms.
Sunderland, as was also expected, have in turn confirmed the arrival of Romain Mundle. The winger can play off either flank and was a target for the club last summer when he opted to leave Spurs in search of first-team football. They had not expected him to be available in this window but moved quickly when it was clear that Standard Liege would let him depart, paving the way for a four-and-a-half year deal to be agreed. Mundle is clearly a longer-term prospect but there is a belief that he can make an impact in the nearer future, too – he’ll be part of the squad at Middlesbrough on Sunday providing his international clearance arrives in time.
Those are the two deals already confirmed, but that will almost certainly not be the end of Sunderland’s business.
A central midfielder is a priority before the deadline closes and that now looks highly likely to be Callum Styles, with the club reviving their interest in the Barnsley player over the last couple of days. Styles is keen to step up to the Championship to bolster his international prospects and Barnsley have been open to his departure all month. Speaking at a press conference this morning, Barnsley boss and former Sunderland defender Neill Collins confirmed that he still expected the 23-year-old to leave before 11pm.
