For much of transfer deadline day, it seemed Tommy Watson would make the switch from Sunderland to Brighton, but the deal could not make it over the line.
In the first half of the season, Tommy Watson was one of the standout performers in Sunderland’s squad, with the teenager announcing himself as a top young talent with a string of game-changing displays.
Injury has kept the teenager out of action for a couple of months, but that didn’t stop Brighton making an initial bid for Watson in the final days of the transfer window.
It became clear that Watson was keen on the move, and Brighton were persistent in their approach for the winger, but for various reasons, he remains a Sunderland player for now.
Brighton gave up on Tommy Watson deal
Sunderland made it clear they needed a replacement for Watson before any deal would be sanctioned, with Simon Adingra mooted as a potential swap in the negotiations.
That was one stumbling block. Another was the fee involved, with Brighton thought to have offered £13m for Watson in the end. But, that still wasn’t enough for Sunderland, who stuck to their guns right up to the deadline.
As per Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie on Twitter/X, Brighton kept on coming back for Watson, who had supposedly travelled down South for a medical, but the Premier League outfit eventually gave up on their pursuit.
Downie wrote: “Brighton made a late push tonight to sign Tommy Watson from Sunderland but they’ve ran out of time. A deal looked on the cards just an hour ago, but Brighton have admitted defeat in the last 15 mins.
“Watson will stay on Wearside until the summer despite Brighton offering £8.5m + £3m add-ons.
Sunderland couldn’t find a replacement (they tried Adingra and Kasey McAteer) or agree a deal to have him loaned back until the end of the season.”
So, it would seem Sunderland’s reluctance to let Watson go without a fight, and the fact they couldn’t find a suitable replacement, has caused this deal to come to a standstill, at least until the summer.
Will Sunderland regret stubborn approach with Tommy Watson deal?
It’s almost admirable to see a Championship club fighting their corner and not letting a top flight team push them around in the transfer market.
Kristjaan Speakman is a tough customer, and Sunderland were well within their rights to deny Watson an easy exit. He’s a player they want and need, and one who clearly has a very high ceiling, so why should they let him go for anything less than they deem acceptable?
The only risk now, of course, is that come the summer Watson’s stock may have fallen and Sunderland will either have to sell for less, or worse, the youngster’s huge potential will have diminished entirely.
Still, there’s always the chance that the opposite occurs. If Watson returns from injury and excels in the backend of the season, there’s no reason why Sunderland couldn’t demand upwards of £20m for the teenager in the summer.
Either way, it’s great that he’s sticking around for now. Watson was a highly influential player before his injury, and if he returns at that level, Sunderland will have a great asset in their fight for promotion.