Sunderland’s fringe players are attracting interest from the Championship, Sunderland manager Dick Advocaat has today revealed.
The Wearsiders strengthened their squad significantly during the transfer window, but had little success in shipping out players deemed surplus to requirements, with the likes of Will Buckley, Liam Bridcutt and Valentin Roberge on scandalously high wages at the Stadium of Light.
The Football League emergency loan window is now in full flow, allowing Championship sides or lower to poach players from the Premier League until January, where they may or may not take up the option to extend the loan further. Sporting Director Lee Congerton is now left with the task of finding a new home for a group which includes the likes of former Brighton duo Liam Bridcutt and Will Buckley, the winger who was once tipped as the ‘next big thing’ in Greece, Charis Mavrias, and French defender Valentin Roberge, who has been a liability at best since arriving in 2013.
Advocaat says clubs have been in touch about one or two of those players but was reluctant in mentioning which one were attracting the attention.
“There’s been some interest from the Championship in one or two players, which is good.
“We had to improve the squad and bring players in. But that means that some players also have to go.
“But those players are still here, and that’s not good.”
Sheffield Wednesday were linked with Liam Bridcutt on deadline day, whilst Leeds United and Brighton were interested in Will Buckley throughout the summer.
