When Sunderland were awarded a penalty following Ezri Konsa's impromptu wrestling match with Dan Ballard, it felt like a massive opportunity to break the deadlock against the notoriously watertight Gunners as Enzo Le Fée lined up his spot kick against David Raya.
There was little wrong with the Frenchman's attempt — firmly struck and aimed towards the corner — but the Spaniard made a superb save to deny Le Fée his second success from twelve yards inside a week. And when everyone's favourite villain Bruno Guimaraẽs duly fired a venomous dipping shot past Robin Roefs barely minutes later, it felt like the classic one-two punch and it ultimately defined the game.
Sunderland more than held their own in this contest; we looked sharp, combative and were able to fashion a number of decent chances against the defending champions, but the finishing touch eluded the Lads on this occasion and that somehow made the loss even more frustrating.
We know we're capable of giving the league's big guns a run for their money on any given day, and occasionally emerging victorious, but during what could easily be a "difficult second season", we need to find ways to bridge the gap and to continue to eke out points from tricky positions.
A disappointing outcome. The 0-2 scoreline might've felt slightly harsh and Reinildo's late red card was a sickener, but the way the game panned out wasn't entirely unexpected, given ******* nal's current status and Sunderland's ongoing attempts at evolution.

#second #ezri

Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris to BBC Match of the Day: "Frustrating result. Good game, especially in the second half. I think we went toe to toe with them and they are flying at the moment. We had the opportunity to score, I think it was deserved, [we] didn't score and thirty second after we conceded the goal. This is the level. I think they are relentless. When you don't seize your opportunities it's hard.
"The first half we were a bit reserved, respectful, knowing their threat and the way they play. The way they can damage your defence. So we were really well-organised, but we agreed at half-time it was important to show our quality with the ball. And that we did really well managing long ***** at times and short ***** when it was possible to play and we created chances.
"[David] Raya was one of the best players on the pitch today. It shows we are dangerous but not enough to score. We are really close. Winning is a process. They are at the top level right now. We were close this evening, it wasn't enough, but it was a good experience for us and our fans. We are getting better game after every game, it's hard to take but we need to go again.
"We have to believe and then it's a question of fine margins. Those fine margins are so hard to improve because it is the last percent and you need to work hard to get this one. We are in a good place. It's important to digest quickly because we have an impressive week ahead."
Did you know?

#hard #game #half

Bruno Guimaraes's brilliant first ***** nal goal and David Raya's penalty save inspired the Gunners to a 2-0 victory at Sunderland on Saturday to extend a flawless start to their Premier League ***** le defence.
Mikel Arteta's men have conceded just once in five games in all competitions but Sunderland had the chance to breach ***** nal's imposing rearguard when Raya tipped Enzo Le Fee's spot-kick onto the post.
Just over two minutes later Guimaraes silenced the Stadium of Light as the Brazilian smashed into the top corner from outside the box.
Bukayo Saka's penalty sealed the victory with the final kick of the game after Sunderland defender Reinildo saw a second yellow card for taking down the England international.
Despite the victory Arteta was still seething after the game at the award of Sunderland's penalty for Ezri Konsa's pull on Dan Ballard.

#game #gunners #saturday

Arsenal made it four wins from four in the Premier League with a hard-fought 2-0 win over Sunderland at the Stadium of Light. The Black Cats played a gritty, physical game, but the Gunners gave as good as they got, and battled to the win. With a massive ***** ist from David Raya saving a, uh, generously awarded penalty that would have made it 1-0 for the bad guys. Minutes later, Bruno Guimaraes put one top bins. Raya made another brilliant save later in the half. Deep in added time, Bruno put Bukayo Saka in on goal, earning a penalty and second yellow to Reinildo. Penalty converted. Game over.
The Sunderland crowd greeted Bruno with a chorus of boos when he replaced Myles Lewis-Skelly at halftime. They take their rivalry with Newcastle seriously. Unfortunately, it was very much a "keep booing, it only makes me stronger" moment. You could see from the little smile on Bruno's face that he was loving it and using it to fuel him. His "I can't hear you" celebration to the crowd after he'd put one on postage stamp was absolute perfection.
Great call from Mikel Arteta to pull Myles Lewis-Skelly at the break. Everything was off from him — poor touches, cheap fouls — it simply wasn't his night. The manager also had to swap Jurrien Timber for Ben White, who appeared to have tweaked his groin. Because when ***** nal get one right back healthy, the other gets injured. That's how it works. Timber was excellent, by the way.
The ***** nal subs that came on later in the second half, Eze, Merino, and Zubimendi, were mediocre to poor. The depth is tremendous but Mikel Arteta has his work cut out for him to keep everyone sharp so that when they are called into action they don't, say, give the ball away the only two times they get on it like Merino did today.
The Gunners could have and should have been ahead at halftime, but once again, they were profligate with scoring chances. Bukayo Saka was caught in two minds on a leaping volley and only managed glancing contact. Kai Havertz shot over the bar from in close. The German striker also forced a smart save with a brilliant control, turn, and volley move. Saka also flubbed two chances in the second half — he picked the wrong pass on a 4-on-2 break and he shot too close to the keeper. The side could do with a bit better finishing, but if you believe (as I generally do) that finishing ebbs and flows, as long as they keep generated the volume of chances, someone is in for a real hiding.

#second

Enzo Maresca faces his first major test since stepping into Pep Guardiola's shoes as City visit United in the Manchester derby on Sunday, while ******* nal aim to extend their flawless start at Sunderland.
Alongside last season's top two, only newly-promoted Hull remain unbeaten but their brilliant start faces an acid test against Xabi Alonso's free-scoring Chelsea.
At the other end of the table, Fulham have yet to register a point under Alvaro Arbeloa ahead of their tough trip to Liverpool.
AFP Sport looks at three talking points ahead of the weekend's action:
Haaland hungry for more

#enzo

Sunderland will entertain ****** nal at the Stadium of Light on Saturday as they look to secure a good result at home in the Premier League. The Black Cats secured a 1-0 win over Hull City in the EFL Cup recently, so they would be full of confidence going into this game.
Regis Le Bris will set his players up in a 4-2-3-1 formation and is expected to make a handful of tweaks to his first team for this game. Therfore, Brian Brobbey will get a chance to lead the line for the Wearside club up top.
Robin Roefs will operate in goal for the Black Cats after conceding one goal in his last league outing. Kevin Danso will play alongside Dan Ballard at the centre of the Sunderland backline as they look to keep a solid shape at the back throughout the 90 minutes.
Nordi Mukiele will get a chance to impress as the right-back, while Reinildo Mandava looks to prove his worth on the other side as the left-back. Both of them will have to perform their defensive duties well before trying to offer support to their teammates up top.
Omar Alderete will offer cover for the defensive positions on the bench.

#game #goal

Sunderland welcome Hull City to the Stadium of Light in the Carabao Cup as the Black Cats kick off their League Cup campaign for the first time in the third round due to European qualification.
We face a Tigers side that haven't conceded a goal in the Premier League after three games and are coming off an impressive draw that Hull felt they should've won against Aston Villa on Saturday.
So, how did Hull draw Sunderland in the Carabao Cup?
First of all, they were promoted to the Premier League, which earned them a bye into round two against Championship side Stoke City, in which the East Yorkshire outfit defeated the Potters on penalties following a 1-1 draw.
We come into this game after a draw with Brentford, with Régis Le Bris predicted to make at least ten changes ahead of due to a quick turnaround ahead of Saturday's clash with ****** nal at the Stadium of Light.

#draw #sunderland #carabao #first

Whether Brian Brobbey and Wilson Isidor can partner each other without unbalancing the Sunderland team has been the subject of several questions sent in via our Black Cats Ask me Anything form.
We were granted our first opportunity to see whether the pairing of Brobbey and Isidor will or could work in the home match against Fulham.
It is hard to say definitively, but on the evidence of that short cameo, I'd suggest there is no reason to think it couldn't work.
Isidor, of course, firmly believes it could but a lot depends on the balance of the team and how the likes of Enzo le Fee and Nilson Angulo are deployed.
It may well be something Regis le Bris is happier to try at the Stadium of Light, where there is a greater emphasis on the home team attacking than in away matches.

#whether

Average home goals predicted: 2.25
Average away goals predicted: 0.25
Confidence of Roker Report's writers: 6.25/10
Predicting a win for the Lads: 100%
Score prediction: Sunderland 2 Hull 0

#average #lads #score #hull

The Barclays Women's Super League 2 (WSL2) kicked off on Friday night under the lights. We witnessed some shock results, own goals, a red card and new signings shining. It was a ****** per weekend of footballing action.
There was plenty to talk about across the WSL 2 match-week one results, from Sunderland's four-goal win over Bristol City to Ipswich Town's late equaliser against Nottingham Forest. Here's how the opening round unfolded.
Two newly promoted teams faced off as Watford hosted Burnley at Vicarage Road. It was the first time the two teams had ever played each other.
Watford dominated possession but couldn't make any of their 12 shots count against a resolute Burnley defence. Burnley pressed Watford, giving them little to no time on the ball.
Burnley debutant and captain Christie Harrison-Murray came close with an audacious lob, but it drifted beyond Safia Middleton-Patel's post. Saoirse Noonan had Watford's best chance as she arched her run perfectly behind the last defender but shot into the side netting.

#time #barclays #league #wsl2

Amid all of the madness of last Tuesday's deadline day scramble, involving three new signings, private jets allegedly bound for Sunderland and South London, some last-minute involvement from Kyril Louis-Dreyfus and a mysterious, guru-like figure known only as Uncle Bouba, it would've been easy to wed yourself to the view that "Sunderland have panicked! We've got it wrong and this isn't how it was supposed to be with such a historic season to come!"
OK, had we actually failed to sign Belgian winger Malick Fofana after protracted moves for the likes of Geny Catamo, Igor Paixão and Dodi Lukebakio failed to materialise for one reason or another, there might've been a case in favour of that.
However, as we took to our beds on Tuesday night with Fofana and Tottenham loanee Kevin Danso on board, and young Ecuadorian forward Juan Riquelme Angulo Caicedo to follow in the early hours of Wednesday, it felt as though we'd hauled what could've been an underwhelming window up into the 7/10 bracket — not dazzling, but solid enough.
Could it have been better? Perhaps.
Could it have been even more frustrating and ultimately underwhelming? Most definitely, and it must be said that the fact we were able to retain the services of Robin Roefs, Noah Sadiki and Brian Brobbey, as well as being willing to shut down any speculation surrounding Wilson Isidor's future with a new deal, felt borderline miraculous.

#last #amid #south #kyril

Sunderland's success in recent years can be attributed to many factors, but I'd argue that one of the main drivers of our success has been the fuel provided by doubt.
Time after time, year after year, game after game, Sunderland are written off. Sometimes by our own supporters, yes, but mostly by people in the media, pundits, journalists and other notable figures in the game.
And perhaps, in some strange way, we should be grateful for it.
Because there is something about being underestimated that seems to bring out the very best in this football club.
We've had plenty of credit for how we've operated in that time too, but following the end of last season – where we managed to achieve the unthinkable with a seventh-place finish in our first year back in the top flight – there's definitely been an undercurrent that Sunderland were a little bit lucky to end up where we did.

#time #year #recent #years

A versatile and highley rated performer, on paper it seemed to some as if Calvin Palmer's big money move in February 1968 was exactly what Sunderland's struggling squad needed, and yet when he departed two years the later his release felt inevitable – and the man that had brought him was certainly happy to see him go.
Bought by the recently reinstalled Alan Brown, Palmer's issues rarely came down to ability. Although fans felt they never got to see the same all action displays he produced at previous club Stoke City they still recognised his versatility and commitment to winning, particularly during one early appearance when against Stoke he took over from the injured Jimmy Montgomery in goal. It was an example of the type of self-sacrifice Brown would usually appreciate and yet the pair were unable to ever strike up a working relationship, a clash of personalities meaning that the notoriously formidable manager and his unconventional recruit often ***** ed heads.
Palmer would invariably take his football seriously but as a character struggled to acquiesce to Brown's rigid structure and expectations. A squad trip to a cinema the month after signing, during which Palmer decided to leave early, led to Brown disciplining him for a breach of club rules for instance, and once the tone was set a number of other battles followed. By January 1970 Palmer was on the transfer list at his own request, and there was clearly no way back for him.
A court case and subsequent driving ban that month served to emphasise the differences between the player and manager; Palmer had found himself on the wrong side of the law whilst Brown had previously served as a police officer and maintained a strict zero tolerance attitude towards any sort of infringements thereafter. In more modern times it might be sensed that Palmer's nature simply warranted a different approach, but the 'Bomber's' management style never relied on subtlety and in the May he confirmed his decision to cut his losses on the £70,000 fee that had been paid and gave his player a free transfer.
It was presumed that this would be the end of the matter, but Palmer, often accused of being 'outspoken' in those more deferential times, did still intend of having the final word. In August he joined Cape Town City and the following month there was to be a rude awakening for Brown when on this day a national Sunday paper launched a 'warts and all' series detailing from South Africa the views and stories of the now ex Rokerman. Whereas Palmer's seemingly divergent traits would be better understood now it was easy then to tag him as a controversial figure, but even still the new column was quite the exposé, with the account being labelled as an 'explosive' chat with 'football's stormiest rebel'.

#palmer #paper #squad

Sunderland boss Regis le Bris, speaking to BBC Sport: "I was really happy and pleased with our first half. It was probably one of our best first halves in the Premier League so far because Brentford are a really good team at home. But you have to be clinical.
"We dominated the ball and had a good bit of possession. It's a bit of a shame to concede the goal when we di. But the lads stayed connected. It was good for the substitutes because when they came on they were good and gave us extra drive."
On Dan Ballard's disallowed goal: "It's always tough. We respect the decision."
On Wilson Isidor's contribution after coming on: "The depth of the squad is getting better, we can feel it. It is positive for the future."
On Kevin Danso's debut: "He brings authority and physicality. In this league, if you don't have this quality, it's hard to manage long **** ."

#goal #regis

My daughter's old maths teacher, Mr Fields, is an Ipswich fan and he is very excited about how ambitious the club has been since getting promoted. I think all their supporters must be the same.
Ipswich have spent almost £200m on a stack of new signings to try to stay in the Premier League and, watching them, it is clear they are not just planning to park the bus.
They will be confident for this game after beating Sunderland at home on the opening weekend and I am expecting them to have a real go at Liverpool too.
It will be interesting to see if new signing Bradley Barcola starts for the Reds, who seem to have a lot of attacking players who like to play off the left.
Boss Andoni Iraola has plenty of attacking options, but I still have concerns about them defensively, while his players adjust to his front-foot pressing style.

#Liverpool

Sunderland boss Regis le Bris has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium (kick-off 15:00 BST).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
Le Bris confirmed Habib Diarra will be sidelined for around six to eight weeks with a hamstring injury: "It's frustrating, but we have to manage it and we will find solutions... It's a shame because I was so pleased with his pre-season and he's getting more mature about his game, about clarity on the pitch, about his qualities and how they fit with the demand of the Premier League."
On Sunderland's transfer window: "We ticked our three boxes. The first one with Kevin Danso and Thomas Meunier - top level experience. The second one with Malick Fofana and Dayann Methalie - young with proven experience. The third one is for the huge potential prospects with Juan Riquelme Angulo and Jules Ahoka. We have to manage the different positions because it's already a big challenge. In the end, we are happy."
On a potential move for Chemsdine Talbi to Turkey: "A move remains possible so it's important to respect both parties. We'll see. He's still a good player, huge potential, but after that you still have a window to decide if it's the right pathway here. I believe he can succeed here, but after that, it's a question of mutual confidence and you have to respect the player's choice."

#bris #game #huge

Rayan Cherki has been nominated for the Guinness Goal of the Month for August.
Our French playmaker scored a quite wonderful individual effort away to Crystal Palace, beating several defenders with his exquisite close control before poking the ball past Dean Henderson.
Already surely a contender for the goal of the season, Rayan is up against Emerson of Ipswich Town, Nilson Angulo of Sunderland, Keane Lewis-Potter and Kevin Schade of Brentford, Newcastle duo Joe Willock and Anthony Elanga plus Chelsea's Cole Palmer
Voting is now open and the winner will be announced at 1pm on 11 September.
VOTE CHERKI FOR GOAL OF THE MONTH AWARD!

#palace

A deserved opener from Kevin Schade (£6.0m) was almost enough to secure all three points and continue Brentford's very promising start to the season.
The German cleverly flicked in Keane Lewis-Potter's (£5.5m) cross just before half-time but, despite having comfortably more attempts (22 v 12), penalty-area efforts (17 v 6) and shots on target (5 v 2) than Leeds United, Keith Andrews' side were denied the win by Dominic Calvert-Lewin's (£6.0m) equaliser.
Igor Thiago (£8.0m) almost restored the lead immediately, with two efforts in quick succession. The Brazilian has done everything but score so far, missing a spot-kick in Gameweek 1 and spurning five close-range shots on Sunday.
However, his 1.6 million FPL owners may want to resist an early sale. The underlying numbers are encouraging and he netted twice in last season's home victory over Sunderland, who are about to visit Gtech Community Stadium.
Kristoffer Ajer (£4.5m) accumulated 17 defensive contribution (DefCon) actions, meaning the Norwegian is one of only four defenders to have reached the threshold in both Gameweeks.

#shots #kevin #leeds

Malick Fofana's chaotic move to Sunderland was "a really difficult story to cover", says BBC Senior football correspondent Sami Mokbel.
The Black Cats eventually beat Crystal Palace to the signing of the 21-year-old forward from Lyon in a deal worth £30m, after previous interest from ****** nal.
"It was really a dramatic day and definitely one of the narratives of Deadline Day for sure," Mokbel told BBC Radio Newcastle.
"With the flip-flopping, as a journalist I must say it was a really treacherous story to cover because obviously you never want to put false information out into the public domain and as journalists and correspondents we all have responsibilities to be as close to the truth and to be as accurate as possible.
"But, we were accurate at the time of when we were reporting that Sunderland had agreed the deal and it looked like he was going there. Then obviously the Crystal Palace thing emerged and immediately those original stories about Sunderland - you're slightly concerned about have I gone too early with the story?

#really #story #mokbel #crystal

This week, the club and Trust installed a bench in Gunnersbury Park, the sixth to be added in the local area to encourage the community to pause, connect and talk.
Last season, some of our players took to the benches to share their own experiences of mental health, including Fábio Carvalho and former Bees player Jordan Henderson. The installation of benches was inspired by Brentford's longstanding commitment to supporting mental wellbeing and the work of consultant psychologist Michael Caulfield, whose bench at the Robert Rowan Performance Centre (RRPC) provides a safe, confidential ***** e for players, coaches and staff to speak.
On Saturday, ahead of our game against Sunderland, from 12.30pm the RRPC bench will be located outside Entrance B at Gtech Community Stadium so fans can make a personal commitment linked to mental wellbeing and supporting others.
Trained representatives from Brentford FC Community Sports Trust and the Samaritans will be on hand to speak with supporters and provide information about health and wellbeing programmes available in the local community.
This season, Talking is the Best Tactic is encouraging supporters to take small actions towards better mental health through simple conversations or small acts of support.

#rrpc

Sunderland have moved decisively to land Malick Fofana, beating Crystal Palace to one of the more closely watched attacking deals of the window. As reported by The Athletic, Sunderland have now pushed the agreement over the line after the player weighed up both options, with the Belgium international completing a medical ahead of signing a five-year contract until 2031.
This feels like a significant piece of business for Sunderland. Palace had made a serious attempt to hijack the move, and there was clear logic to their pursuit. Pierre Sage, now Palace manager, previously coached Fofana at Lyon and was "seen as key to the south London side entering the race for the 21-year-old's signature". Even so, Sunderland have come out on top.
The numbers underline the scale of the commitment. Sunderland will pay "a €30million upfront fee for Fofana plus €6m in potential add-ons". For a club newly back in the Premier League, that is an ****** ertive investment in high-level potential and immediate attacking quality.
Fofana's profile explains why there was such strong interest. ****** nal were "weighing up a move for Fofana", while Chelsea had previously made "a verbal enquiry" and Everton "held talks over a possible move". Sunderland have effectively won a competitive market for a player still only 21.
His output suggests real upside. Fofana has scored 19 goals and supplied eight ****** ists in 84 games for Lyon, after producing five goals and ten ****** ists in 64 senior appearances for Genk. There has been a setback, with "an ankle injury halted his progress and limited him to just 16 appearances last season", but he has "already scored two goals in six games for the French side this term".

#sunderland #move #lyon

The 2026 summer transfer window closed this Tuesday in Europe. Several last-gasp deals were made official... or collapsed late last night or overnight, while we were all already asleep.
OneFootball brings you a recap of the major announcements from the night:
- Double thunderbolt for Monaco! Lamine Camara will ultimately not be joining Chelsea, just as Folarin Balogun will not be signing for Everton either! AS Monaco cancelled the deal for the Senegal international just when they thought they had finally managed to sell their American striker. Chelsea are furious, and the Monégasques have just waved goodbye to around €100 million. (Fabrizio Romano, RMC, Foot Mercato)
- After an endless saga and absurd twists and turns, Malick Fofana has finally signed for Sunderland. The transfer fee is estimated at €35 million including bonuses.
- Quinten Timber has left OM for Crystal Palace in a deal estimated at €20 million.

#last #night #finally

Albeit they've conceded five goals from their opening two Premier League matches, Xabi Alonso seems to have Chelsea back on track after a dodgy 2025/26 campaign as the Blues have opened their season with three wins on the bounce. They beat Fulham 3-2 for their Premier League opener, topped Luton Town 2-0 in the Carabao Cup, and most recently beat Brighton and Hove Albion 4-3 in the league. While the former Bayer Leverkusen and Real Madrid manager will certainly be hoping for more solidity in his defense, three straight wins is not a bad start to life in the English top flight at all.
Per statistics provided by OptaJoe, Alonso has become only the fourth manager to have his side open up the season with seven or more goals in his first two Premier League matches, and that's not even counting the scored against Luton Town in the EFL Cup. The other three managers to have done this are Bobby Robson in 1999 with Newcastle United, Michael Laudrup with Swansea City in 2012, and Marcelo Bielsa with Leeds United in 2020. Alonso joins an elite list of managers in a start that's breathed an air of reassurance after there was heavy speculation as to whether or not he made the right decision to join Chelsea in hi post-Real Madrid job search.
After his unprecedented Bundesliga ****** le campaign with Bayer Leverkusen in the 2023/24 season, Alonso was a man in HIGH demand throughout Europe and he was someone who was even on Bayern's radar at the time when it became clear they'd need to replace Thomas Tuchel. The who's who of European giants were all keen to try to line him up as their next manager, but Alonso had made the decision to stay with Leverkusen for the 2024/25 season and then ultimately wound up at Real Madrid to replace Álvaro Arbeloa.
Ironically enough, the pair of Spaniards will not be competing against one another in the Premier League as Arbeloa is currently serving as Fulham manager, though his start to life in England has not gone as swimmingly as it has for Alonso as Fulham lost their opening two league matches of the season, the first of which to Alonso's Chelsea and the second of which to Sunderland.
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#Chelsea #fulham #leverkusen #manager

Sunderland have completed the signing of 18-year-old striker Juan Riquelme Angulo Caicedo from Ecuadorian side Independiente del Valle.
The highly-rated forward has signed a long-term contract at the Stadium of Light after attracting interest from several clubs across Europe.
Standing at 6ft 4in, Angulo made his professional debut for Independiente del Valle in March 2026 and immediately made an impact, scoring in a 3-1 victory over Mushuc Rung.
Later that month, the teenager received his first call-up to the Ecuador senior squad despite having only just broken into professional football.
Angulo leaves Independiente del Valle after scoring six goals in 15 league appearances this season, averaging a goal every 115 minutes.

#angulo #Independiente #professional #sunderland

Sunderland are set to beat Crystal Palace to the signing of Malick Fofana from Lyon for 30m euros (£25.7m).
Sunderland had agreed a deal earlier before Palace made their own proposal, but the Black Cats are expected to sign the 21-year-old Belgium winger.
The deal is understood to now be at the paperwork stage.
Fofana is understood to be excited by the prospect of joining Sunderland before their first European campaign in 51 years, having qualified for the Europa League, although Palace have also qualified for the same competition.
Arsenal also attempted to sign Fofana, but the Premier League champions were unable to agree a fee with Lyon.

#understood

Talks between Olympique de Marseille and Crystal Palace for the transfer of Quinten Timber resumed on transfer deadline day. The Dutchman now looks set for a move to Selhurst Park, as per a report from RMC Sport.
Believing that the depth and quality of their midfield is sufficient, OM's management – who continue to seek funds to meet the financial constraints imposed by the National Directorate for Financial Control (DNCG) – are said to have opened the door to the departure of the Dutchman.
Talks regarding a transfer worth over €18m have been ongoing, alongside those being conducted by the Eagles – as well as Sunderland – in an attempt to finalise the deal for Malick Fofana (21). The Belgian could instead now be heading to the Black Cats.
Having joined OM from Feyenoord for €4.5m last winter, Timber has made 17 appearances in the white and blue since his arrival. RMC Sport now understands that Timber is close to completing a move to Crystal Palace with little time remaining before the closure of the transfer window.
GFFN | Luke Entwistle

#timber #talks #olympique

Milton Keynes Dons have completed the signing of defender Elijah Campbell from Everton, having already added midfielder Ibrahim Fullah from Charlton Athletic on transfer deadline day.
Campbell, 22, has been with Everton since 2017 and made his debut in an FA Cup tie against Sunderland in January of this year.
The centre-half has previously had loan spells with Fleetwood Town, Ross County and, last season, Port Vale, and will now be granted an opportunity to impress in League One with the newly promoted Dons.
Boss Paul Warne said: "With Eli, we needed a left-footed centre-half, wing-back and left-back - someone that could cover those positions. So he's coming in on loan to compete in all of those positions really.
"He's athletic and has, as they all seem to have, a really nice left foot, and is technically a really good player, so he comes with some good recommendations.

#left #campbell #Athletic #loan

Former Sunderland striker Marco Gabbiadini says he is happy that the Black Cats have kept the core of the squad but says they need more numbers to deal with extra European fixtures - and signing a forward is "imperative".
"I'm happy with this squad because it's the core that we had last season - 90% of the players from last season are still here, and I think that is the most important thing," Gabbiadini told BBC Radio Newcastle.
"We need a few more numbers just because of the amount of these extra games that we're going to have to play, but they're not going to do anything too drastic because Regis le Bris has already talked about the size of his squad and what he can handle."
When asked about which position should be a priority for sporting director Florent Ghisolfi, Gabbiadini cited the forward line despite being content with Trai Hume and Nilson Angulo starting on the wing in Sunderland's opening games of the season.
"Another forward is imperative - in case of injuries more than anything, but it is always good to have competition in those places.

#happy #numbers #extra

Keith Downie is reporting that Sunderland and Ajax have agreed a deal that will see Simon Adingra join the Dutch side on loan for the rest of the season. The former Brighton winger, who is currently injured, will join Ajax in the Eredivisie. Last season Sunderland spent £21.5m to bring in Adingra from Brighton, but the Ivorian only managed 15 appearances for the then recently promoted Sunderland. Adingra spent the second half of the campaign on loan at Monaco.
Adingra has a deal until 2030 with Sunderland, who will be hoping that a move to Ajax will help him rediscover some form or attract potential buyers next summer. Adingra came through at Danish side Nordsjaelland, scoring 12 goals in 40 games. In the summer of 2022 he joined Brighton before immediately being loaned out to Union St Gilloise in Belgium. Adingra was great for Union during the 2022/2023 season, scoring 14 goals in 51 games and providing 13 ******* ists. On his return to Brighton he played 73 games, with 12 goals and five ******* ists. He only scored once for Sunderland during his 15 games for the club. For Monaco, he played 17 games with three goals and two ******* ists.
Ajax will be hoping that a return to the low countries will bring out the form Adingra had shown during his time across the border with Union. Ajax have already signed one winger this summer, with Ukranian international Victor Tsygankov joining from Girona.
GBeNeFN | Ben Jackson

#sunderland #ajax #union #summer

Chelsea have accepted offers from Tottenham for winger Mykhailo Mudryk and defender Tosin Adarabioyo, as well as a bid from Italian club Como for goalkeeper Robert Sanchez.
The trio are now expected to leave Stamford Bridge, subject to agreeing personal terms, with Spurs keen to secure Mudryk, 25, and reunite him with his former manager Roberto de Zerbi.
The Ukraine international has not played a competitive match since November 2024, serving a suspension that followed an adverse finding for the banned substance meldonium, but he has been eligible to football since July.
Mudryk previously played under De Zerbi at Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk before moving to Chelsea for an initial £61m.
Spurs will also sign Chelsea defender Adarabioyo, 28, on a permanent deal to replace Kevin Danso, who is set to join Sunderland on an initial loan.

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