Sunderland’s sporting director Kristjaan Speakman has been speaking about Tommy Watson, and his failed deadline day move to Brighton.
Tommy Watson was once again a target for Brighton in the January transfer window, with the Seagulls having tried and failed to sign the 18-year-old in the previous summer transfer window.
Sunderland rejected a £13million package for Watson in the end. It was a chaotic deadline day for the 18-year-old who’s only featured 10 times in the Championship this season, owing to injury.
But he’s clearly shown enough for Brighton to plot a big money move on deadline day. Since, reports have suggested that Brighton will try to sign Watson in the next summer transfer window.
For now though, Watson will be fully focussed on getting back to fitness after several weeks on the sidelines. Regis Le Bris will be hoping that Watson hits the ground running amid the Black Cats’ promotion push this season.
Tommy Watson wasn’t pushing to leave Sunderland for Brighton
Speaking to The Northern Echo, Kristjaan Speakman has been discussing Watson’s failed deadline day move to Brighton and how the youngster feels about the whole situation.
Speakman has played down suggestions that Watson wanted to leave the Stadium of Light. The Sunderland sporting director also says that Brighton and Sunderland never reached an agreement, so there was no decision to be made anyway.
He said: “I think it would be really unfair to suggest that the player wanted to leave. Tommy is like a number of young players that we’ve got, where they’re on the up, they’re highly-rated and ambitious, which we want them to be, and then they get presented with an opportunity.
“Ultimately, Tommy didn’t have a decision to make because there wasn’t an agreement between the clubs. If the clubs had agreed, he would have had a decision to make, and you could understand why he would choose to stay, but you could also understand why he might decide to leave. That would be based on his views. But we never got to that point, so it was never really an issue.”
Regis Le Bris shares positive Tommy Watson injury update
Speaking to the press ahead of Saturday’s Championship clash against Watford, Le Bris gave an injury update on Watson, as well as Alan Browne and Romaine Mundle.
Le Bris said: “They are gradually returning. Alan Browne is available and is now back in full training. We hope to have Romaine Mundle back on the grass and training by the end of this week, and Tommy Watson will be back next week.”
Watson is on the comeback trail then, and returning at the same time as Mundle will make for an interesting battle on the left. Though it’s difficult to see either displacing Enzo Le Fee right now.
The Black Cats’ game against Watford on Saturday kicks off at 12:30pm at the Stadium of Light.