Transfers: Mundle signs, Styles deal back on, Pritchard leaves, Moore latest
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00:00 [MUSIC PLAYING]
00:29 Hello, it's transfer deadline day.
00:31 My head is spinning.
00:33 It's doing absolute cartwheels.
00:35 Phil, I'm sure yours is the same.
00:37 It's actually got busy quite early.
00:39 Alex Pritchard has departed to Birmingham City,
00:43 signing a two and a half year deal to reunite with Tony Mowbray.
00:47 There's also news of a deal for Callum Stiles
00:49 being back on for Sunderland.
00:51 Obviously, Pritchard's exit would signal that Roman Mundell's deal
00:56 is pretty close to the right-sided winger coming in
01:01 from Standard Liège in Belgium.
01:03 Phil, how are you doing?
01:05 Have you had any breakfast yet?
01:07 And where are we at with transfers?
01:09 Yeah, well, I'm much more experienced in these matters
01:12 than you, so I went to Lidl bakery yesterday,
01:14 got myself a pan au chocolat for my deadline day breakfast.
01:17 So I'm doing very well.
01:19 I'm calm, collected, and ready for the long day ahead.
01:23 I've missed a trick there, haven't I?
01:25 Missed a trick.
01:27 So, yeah, so what do we understand about where things are at right now?
01:30 Pritchard's moved to Birmingham City,
01:32 he's obviously been confirmed.
01:34 So it looks like, I think, a real shame the way that one ended,
01:37 because I think Pritchard's been a wonderful player to watch, really.
01:43 He's been an absolutely sentimental part of how Sunderland got from where they were,
01:46 which was in the Ligue 1 doldrums to where they are now,
01:48 which is a team realistically talking about promotion to the Premier League,
01:51 someone I've loved watching.
01:53 I think realistically, I'm kind of pleased that Christian Spiekman's statement
01:56 was very diplomatic.
01:58 I think that while what happened over the last week was far from ideal,
02:02 ultimately it's hard to quibble with where Pritchard's gone to.
02:06 He's got a two and a half year deal at this stage of his career,
02:08 I'm sure a very good contract with Birmingham.
02:10 I think everyone can understand his reasons for wanting to pursue that,
02:13 even if sort of the way it happened over the weekend left a bit of a sour taste.
02:17 So that one's obviously done, and from Sunderland's perspective,
02:20 they were happy for Pritchard to pursue that, but not for free,
02:23 which I think you can understand when it's to a direct championship rival.
02:26 They've got a fee, not a huge one, but not a totally insignificant one either.
02:29 It'll be six figures, I'm sure.
02:31 And so I think ultimately that suited everyone.
02:34 As you mentioned, Romain Mundeau, that deal's all but done.
02:37 It could even be announced while we're sat here on this video,
02:39 I would imagine is a possibility.
02:40 - Oh, I hope not.
02:42 - Yeah, not a direct replacement for Pritchard.
02:46 He is a winger. He can play off either flank.
02:48 I think while he obviously offers depth now in the next few months,
02:53 I think this is one of Sunderland's sort of succession planning signings, if you like.
02:57 Obviously, Clark and Roberts have been exceptional for a long period,
02:59 but you want to build the talent below them as well.
03:02 Barr's obviously one of those, Burnett, who's gone out on loan,
03:05 and I think Mundeau sort of fits into that category.
03:07 - It's interesting, sorry, just to interrupt quickly,
03:11 but it's interesting, isn't it, because of where Pritchard's been played
03:15 in the sort of past five games, the last five games of his Sunderland career,
03:18 he suddenly turned into a right winger when really, actually,
03:20 he's an attacking midfielder, and it's only because Roberts has injured
03:23 and he's been out there.
03:24 So, it's interesting, that little caveat, isn't it, really?
03:28 - Yeah, well, I think what's interesting about the Pritchard thing is that,
03:31 really, Sunderland had their number 10 options because they thought Pritchard
03:34 was going to go in the summer.
03:35 So, when Pritchard initially asked the club for a longer-term deal last summer
03:38 and they decided against it, that's another podcast about whether that was
03:42 the right footballing decision.
03:43 We won't go too much into it now, but obviously, Sunderland signed Aushish,
03:47 they signed Job, they signed Bradley Dac, and they obviously want to create
03:51 opportunities for Chris Rigg as well.
03:52 That's maybe the slightly under-reported or under-discussed aspect of this.
03:56 So, actually, in number 10 position, they're pretty well stocked.
04:00 The caveat that I know supporters will be saying is that Pritchard has been
04:03 more consistent than certainly Aushish and Dac this season.
04:06 Job has been very, very good, but obviously, there's worries
04:09 and fatigue there at times.
04:10 So, yeah, I don't think it's a position where Sunderland need a direct
04:13 replacement for Pritchard, but as you mentioned, with the injuries
04:17 and what have you at the moment, I think it's good that there's another
04:20 sort of player coming in, albeit someone who maybe we're looking at as a
04:23 regular starter next season rather than right now.
04:25 But, you know, who knows?
04:27 Maybe he'll come in and tear it up, hopefully, we'll see.
04:29 It's interesting with Mundell as well, isn't it?
04:30 Because I believe he rejected a very long-term contract offer at Tottenham
04:34 to go and play for Standard League.
04:36 So that, to me, is a significant indicator of his mentality.
04:41 And I think that's a real positive.
04:43 Maybe it hasn't quite worked out for him, but he's gone over, experienced
04:45 something a bit different, and hopefully Sunderland can provide that good
04:49 home, good environment, which they have done, to give them credit
04:53 for young players and he can develop well.
04:56 Well, listen, we talk a lot about the Sunderland recruitment model,
04:59 and rightly so, but let's be fair.
05:01 This is one aspect of the strategy that so far has worked incredibly well.
05:05 Targeting very good academy players who are coming towards the end of their
05:08 contracts and want to start playing senior football now.
05:11 We've seen it with Serkin, we've seen it with Ekwer.
05:15 This is something that they've done very, very well in targeting these opportunities.
05:18 And maybe Mundell is similar to that Ekwer who arrived last January.
05:22 We didn't see him for a little while as he's sort of embedded,
05:25 hasn't played a huge amount.
05:26 Mundell is more experienced now, obviously, as you mentioned, in senior football,
05:29 but maybe that's a similar one where we'll start to see him towards the end
05:32 of the season with the hope that he can really sort of then attack pre-season.
05:36 And yeah, which deals haven't we talked about yet?
05:39 Yeah, so Callum Stiles.
05:40 Yeah, so Callum Stiles is one that I now would go as far as to say,
05:44 I think probably will happen.
05:45 So obviously we knew with Mundell pretty much done,
05:49 we knew coming in today that Stryker and Centre midfielder were the two kind of
05:52 key targets for Sunderland.
05:53 It looks like Stiles is going to be that midfielder.
05:56 Sunderland asked about him earlier in the window.
05:58 A deal wasn't agreed then, but I think Barnsley have kind of been expecting him
06:02 to go all month and that has now been revived.
06:05 So it's not quite the sort of holding midfielder core he has.
06:09 I was going to say, is he a six, Bill?
06:12 Is he a six?
06:13 I wouldn't have said so.
06:14 I think he has played, he has sort of played in that role for Hungary.
06:19 And this is a really big part of the deal.
06:21 It's one of the reasons why Stiles was keen to step up.
06:23 He wants to protect his international place.
06:26 He has a quite remarkable international, I think it's a grandparent.
06:29 He qualifies for Hungary.
06:30 He's obviously playing with some pretty good players on that side.
06:33 And he does play as part of the midfield too, in a 4-2-3-1 for Hungary,
06:38 as I understand it.
06:39 So it's certainly a role he's sort of comfortable in,
06:43 although I would have said that he is more energetic.
06:46 But certainly in terms of if you look at the way he's summoned to play in this season,
06:49 he would fit into one of those Nieler-Ekwe rules.
06:52 And obviously the big thing, which we have mentioned elsewhere,
06:54 is that he can also play at left wing-back.
06:57 Bill's made pretty clear at times it's not going to be his go-to formation,
07:00 but he does want to switch to a back three.
07:02 And Stiles and Kjelde now give him that option for the short and the longer term.
07:09 So, yeah, I'm expecting that one probably will go through today.
07:12 And then Stryker, we don't know.
07:15 Kiefer Moore looks like he is going to be on the move,
07:17 because Bournemouth are strengthening.
07:19 They're bringing in a striker from Turkey.
07:21 On big money as well, on very big money.
07:24 So that would suggest that they would like to get Moore off the books.
07:27 Yeah, you would have thought so.
07:29 Because obviously, whether he has to get him out on loan or whatever happens with him.
07:32 Yeah.
07:33 But as I think we've kind of all feared, or kind of suspected all month,
07:36 there's teams with bigger pockets in that race.
07:38 And certainly all the sources closest to that dealer suggestion at the moment,
07:41 they're most likely to go to Ipswich.
07:43 But we're waiting to see on that one.
07:45 And what I would say as well is that I'm sure Sunderland have been well aware of that possibility all month.
07:48 So there's nothing at this stage to suggest that they haven't got alternative irons in the fire.
07:55 So we're waiting to see on that one.
07:57 And then where else have we got?
07:58 Should we talk potential outgoings today?
08:00 Is that the last thing to...
08:01 Yeah, we'll do that.
08:02 Just very quickly though on the Stiles thing,
08:04 because Sunderland's midfield fascinates me at the moment.
08:07 And I don't want to go too in depth,
08:08 because obviously this is quite a short, bite-sized podcast.
08:12 But with Stiles not being your number six,
08:15 given where Daniel played last week in that sort of hold and roll,
08:19 he's done it before for Sunderland.
08:20 Could we see him at the base of maybe a deeper three possibly going forward?
08:25 And just to add to that, I was listening to a pundit over the weekend,
08:28 and I can't for the life of me remember which one it was,
08:30 but it was a very good pundit.
08:32 And it said that top sides actually have the ability to change formations two or three times in games.
08:38 Sunderland maybe haven't had that.
08:41 But now with an extra midfielder, you could maybe go 4-3-3, 4-2-3-1.
08:46 You can go to a back five in transition.
08:47 So it does offer that tactical flexibility,
08:52 especially with the Leeds guy coming in at left back as well.
08:56 Yeah, I think I agree with that.
08:57 And one of the reasons why Speakman's always been quite sort of...
09:02 hasn't really agreed with the suggestion that they should sign a direct replacement for Corey Evans
09:06 is that I think because there is a belief, rightly or wrongly,
09:08 I'm not offering an opinion on that.
09:09 I'm just giving what I think is the view is that, you know,
09:12 moving forward as they try to dominate games and become a really strong attack side in this division,
09:16 they don't always want to be playing with a number six.
09:19 They feel they can play with that too, if you like, who then rotate.
09:23 But I agree with you.
09:23 So maybe the view is that, you know, you add another player in that mould
09:28 who has some defensive strengths, but is also very energetic and get forward.
09:31 And yeah, in certain games, maybe you decide you want to play with a,
09:35 you know, more of a 4-3-3 or more of a holding midfielder.
09:37 Maybe Neil can be that player at times.
09:39 Maybe Stiles can be that player at times.
09:41 We won't know until we've found more about the plans.
09:43 So I agree with you.
09:44 I think it is about flexibility.
09:47 Personally, what I have liked to have seen in sort of grey hairs, if you like, in front of the defence.
09:52 I think at times that can be really, really useful.
09:54 But I can sort of understand someone's perspective that you don't just bring one in
09:58 if you don't realistically think they're going to play in the long run.
10:01 So it's going to be really interesting to see how that one shakes out.
10:04 It's been a long-running transfer debate, isn't it?
10:06 And I'm sure it will continue to be.
10:08 And yeah, really interesting to see where Stiles fits in and how that plays out.
10:12 Yes, outgoing.
10:13 So to my mind, there's been three so far.
10:15 Harry Gardner headed out on loan to Blythe Spartans.
10:18 Jefferson Bennett's gone on loan to Greece.
10:20 Pritchard out permanently.
10:23 What else is likely, Phil?
10:25 Oh, and Romain Mundell has just been announced as a Sunderland player.
10:29 So the prediction came true, Phil.
10:31 Yeah.
10:32 Well, we were sort of right, weren't we?
10:33 So that's good.
10:35 Outgoings, yeah.
10:35 So what do we expect?
10:37 Well, we're not 100% sure because I think we always knew that this was going to be
10:40 by and large dependent on incomings, isn't it?
10:43 So the most, the outcomings, the outgoings that we're sort of expecting today
10:46 are probably loan moves to players who are going to be impacted by those who come in.
10:50 So Callum Stiles being a classic example.
10:52 Will that lead to Gian Mattete going out on loan?
10:55 I think it's a distinct possibility.
10:57 And I think that's also true up front.
10:59 So we know that if Sunderland get a striker, they may well allow Louis Hemier to go out on loan.
11:03 But obviously, if he doesn't, they may well feel they need him as additional cover for the rest of the season.
11:08 We also know, don't we?
11:09 And maybe you can come in because I know you've got a bit of background on this,
11:12 that there's potential for Nectar Triantis to maybe go out on loan.
11:16 Hibbs is a potential destination.
11:19 I don't know if you want to pick that one up.
11:21 Yeah, I will.
11:22 That was nicely segued.
11:23 I will talk while you tap away, Phil.
11:25 Don't you worry about that.
11:26 So, yeah, Nectar Triantis, obviously Sunderland have options in the centre of defence.
11:31 Lugo 9, Dan Ballard being playing there.
11:34 The lad from Leeds coming in does present an option as well.
11:38 Jenson Sealt can play there.
11:40 So Triantis is going to need game time.
11:43 A bit like Bennett in a sense, though.
11:45 He's come to a new country last summer, although he is English speaking.
11:50 So it's a bit easier for him to sort of bed in.
11:53 But I think the question will be, and you probably agree with this, Phil,
11:56 do they want to sort of unsettle him again six months after sort of joining a new club?
12:02 The caveat to that is that Triantis' coach at Central Coast Mariners,
12:07 which is where Sunderland signed the player from, is now at Hibbs.
12:12 So that is a potential link-up that can happen.
12:14 I think there's definitely interest from the Hibbs end.
12:18 And there was certainly earlier in the window,
12:20 but Sunderland rebuffed that pretty quickly.
12:24 Now, this was before Sunderland started to sign players.
12:27 So you do wonder if that's something that could get done.
12:30 Obviously, Hibbs, you know, as a club, isn't that far away geographically from Sunderland.
12:35 So it's not like he's going to the end of the earth.
12:37 He can still probably check in with his parent club.
12:41 It just offers him that opportunity to learn about British football.
12:46 You know, the Scottish division, people talk a lot about the Scottish division.
12:50 But in terms of getting a young player ready for, you know,
12:53 British football and Championship football,
12:55 I don't think there's actually many better proven grounds, Phil.
12:59 I love this deal if it happens.
13:01 I think it's a brilliant long move.
13:03 You're putting them in an environment that's really going to help them acclimatise to the Championship.
13:08 I think it'll be a really valuable playing experience for them.
13:11 You're putting them in with a coach who obviously knows really well.
13:13 So that's a massive tick.
13:15 And as you say, it's not a particularly long move.
13:18 So it's somewhere where you can maintain that dialogue and look after them really closely.
13:22 And if anyone ever in their life gets the opportunity to move to Leeds, they should do it.
13:26 So that's just another box tick for me.
13:28 No, we'll wait and see.
13:30 As you said, we don't know if that's going to go through yet.
13:32 But that's a deal that makes a lot of sense to me if it happens.
13:36 I think with Hilda and potentially Stiles coming in, as we've discussed,
13:39 who can play the left wing back,
13:41 I think the level of cover is probably quite decent in defence.
13:44 When you think that at least they will be back at some point,
13:47 and he's still a couple of weeks away yet,
13:48 but he will be back before the end of the season.
13:50 So I think that while it's a little bit of a risk,
13:54 I think it will potentially be a really, really high reward.
13:57 And so we'll wait and see on that.
13:59 Just two or three points to finish with.
14:01 Mundell taking the number 14 shirt for Sunderland is a massive,
14:06 massive shoes to fill, obviously vacated by Ross Stewart in the summer,
14:09 hasn't been used since.
14:10 Phil, what do we know about that deal quickly in terms of contract length?
14:14 Has it been announced?
14:15 I'm guessing it's undisclosed.
14:16 You'll have to tell me because I really honestly haven't had a chance to look.
14:20 Yeah, well, it is an undisclosed fee,
14:22 but our understanding is there is another seven-figure investment.
14:25 Obviously, we know how Sunderland do these deals.
14:27 There'll be money up front,
14:28 but part of it will be sort of bonus dependent,
14:31 depending on how much he plays, all that kind of stuff,
14:34 potentially whether Sunderland get promoted,
14:35 all these sort of things that come into it.
14:37 Four and a half year contract.
14:39 And I'll just, before we leave people,
14:41 I'll just read a little bit from Christian Speightman here.
14:43 He says, "Talented players like Romain are highly sought after,
14:46 and we saw this firsthand in the summer when he left Tottenham.
14:49 We didn't anticipate him being available on a permanent basis,
14:51 but when we sensed an opportunity,
14:52 we moved quickly and decisively to make it happen.
14:55 Our ways of working and structure are a real strength in these moments."
14:59 And Sunderland also said that while they haven't got international clearance yet,
15:02 they're hopeful he'll be in the squad on Sunday at Middlesbrough.
15:05 So there you go.
15:06 Kind of a deal that, you know,
15:08 I don't think Sunderland were planning for this month,
15:10 but obviously a player they liked and they've moved quickly.
15:12 And crucially, we talked,
15:14 well, everyone's talked a lot about the Stuart, Lahaji, the Gucci money,
15:18 and clearly that's allowed them to move pretty swiftly in this circumstance.
15:21 So, yeah, I feel like we should go and do some more work,
15:24 but hopefully, while accepting that things can change very quickly,
15:28 we've given people a bit of an insight to what they can expect for the rest of the day.
15:31 - Yeah. Two very, very quick points.
15:33 I would say that I think this deal sort of does challenge that narrative a little bit,
15:36 that Sunderland won't spend money.
15:38 I think it's, that narrative sort of does need,
15:42 I get where it comes from,
15:43 but to my mind, Sunderland will spend money where they feel like there's value.
15:47 And I can understand that.
15:49 - They've always invested in transfer fees.
15:52 You just have to go back to their arrival.
15:54 - Yeah, yeah, yeah.
15:54 - What is true, what is true is that they are not competing
15:58 with the top four or six clubs in the division.
16:01 - For 28 or 27-year-old or 29, yeah, all of that sort of stuff.
16:05 - On wages is the big thing.
16:07 On wages, they're not yet a big championship spender.
16:10 That's absolutely, you know, that is a fact.
16:12 - Final, final question, Phil.
16:14 Kiefer Moore doesn't look likely.
16:16 Obviously, we've discussed that.
16:17 Would another striker be available for Sunderland?
16:20 I don't know names off the top of my head,
16:22 but do you think they'll have other targets or is it Moore or nobody?
16:26 - I think they have other targets,
16:27 but I think that is the position where they are least likely
16:32 to do something just for the sake of it.
16:34 I think the stance has been all month that we have to keep going
16:39 with these players that we've invested in.
16:40 We have to give them opportunities.
16:42 Berstow, we know, is here for the rest of the season,
16:44 so they have to have him involved.
16:47 So I think that if it's not a high-calibre player,
16:49 they'll just say, "No, we're not doing it."
16:52 But my instinct tells me that because of Ipswich's interest all month,
16:56 there will have been an understanding that signing Moore
16:58 was going to be very, very difficult.
16:59 And so I am absolutely convinced there'll be other targets.
17:02 But that's the one position where I know that if they don't feel
17:06 like they can get a high-calibre target, they won't do it.
17:09 So I'm still hopeful they will sign someone,
17:12 but that is a position where I can definitely see them not doing anything.
17:15 Yeah, right. We'll leave it there.
17:17 Thank you for watching.
17:18 You can keep up to date with all the transfer news
17:20 over at the Sun and Echo website.
17:21 Make sure you head over to @SunecoSAFC on Twitter as well.
17:25 You can find Phil at @Phil_Smith,
17:29 and you can find me at @JamesCopley_.
17:32 Thank you very much for watching.
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