The Gossip: The Wait Goes On

One winger joined Sunderland this week, as another departed the club but yet again the biggest news of the week surrounded the future of a certain Italian striker but before we get to that, and more, the formalities.

Julian Speroni (Crystal Palace)
Jean-Armel Kana-Biyik (Stade Rennais)
Santiago Vergini (Estudiantes)
Marcos Alonso (Fiorentina)
Caner Erkin (Fenerbache)
Gordan Bunoza (Wisla Krakow)
Will Buckley (Brighton)
Marc Albrighton (Aston Villa)
Raul Meireles (Fenerbache)
Matt Grimes (Exeter)
Josh McEachran (Chelsea)
Diego Capel (Sporting Lisbon)
Fraizer Campbell (Cardiff)
Fabio Borini (Liverpool)
Martin Kelly (Liverpool
Moussa Sow (Fenerbahce)
Bafetimbi Gomis (Lyon)
Ever Banega (Valencia)
Jordon Mutch (Cardiff)
Daniele Dessena (Cagliari)
Giannis Maniatis (Olympiakos)
Christopher Forrester (St Pats.)
Billy Jones (West Brom)
Jordi Gomez (Wigan)
Costel Pantilimon (Man City)
Michael Mancienne (Hamburg)
Kevin Chaurand (Celaya)
Luis Pedro Cavanda (Lazio)
Ashley Williams (Swansea)
Tom Ince (Blackpool)
Luca Cigarini (Atalanta)
William Vainqueur (Standard Liege)
Luciano Vietto (Racing Club)
Kolbeinn Sigthorsson (Ajax)
Paulinho (Livorno)
Curtis Davies (Hull)
Ross McCormack (Leeds)
Yeltsin Tejeda (Saprissa)
Morgan Amalfitano (Marseille)
Rene Adler (Hamburg)
Bryan Ruiz (Fulham)
German Lux (Deportivo La Coruna)
Geoff Cameron (Stoke)
Kurt Zouma (Chelsea)
Andreas Christensen (Chelsea)
Lewis Baker (Chelsea)
Victor Moses (Chelsea)
Panagiotis Kone (Bologna)
Diego Poyet (Charlton)
Enner Valencia (Pachuca)
Jose Holebas (Olympiakos)
Djamel Mesbah (Parma)
Timothee Kolodziejczak (Nice)
Mathieu Valbuena (Marseille)
Jack Rodwell (Man City)
Nabil Bahoui (AIK)
Emmanuel Emenike (Fenerbahce)
Troy Deeney (Watford)
Jordan McGhee (Hearts)
Jamal Lascelles (Nottingham Forest)
Jose Gimenez (Atletico Madrid)
Virgil van Dijk (Celtic)
Carl Jenkinson (Arsenal)
Rod Fanni (Marseille)
Christian Fuchs (Schalke)
Muhamed Besic (Ferencvaros)
Dorin Rotariu (Dinamo Bucharest)
Michael Babatunde (Volyn Lutsk)
Max Clayton (Crewe)
Craig Mackail-Smith (Brighton)
Charlie Austin (QPR)
Samuel Eto'o (Chelsea)
Davide Astori (Calgiari)
Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City)
Giancarlo Gonzalez (Columbus Crew)
Tim Cahill (NY Red Bulls)
Ki Sung-Yueng (Swansea)
Raoul Cedric Loe (Osasuna)
Cristian Rodriguez (Atletico Madrid)
Carlos Bacca (Sevilla)
Leandro Rodriguez (CA River Plate)
Daniel Wass (Evian)
Danny Rose (Tottenham)
Patrick van Aanholt (Chelsea)
Jonathan Biabiany (Parma)
Serge Gnabry (Arsenal)
Ikechi Anya (Watford)
Ogneyi Onazi (Lazio)
Jose Miguel Cubero (Herediano)
Maxime Lestinne (Club Brugge)
Bruma (Galatasaray)
Abel Hernandez (Palermo)
Anthony Stokes (Celtic)
Paolo Guerrero (Corinthians)
Facundo Ferreyra (Shaktar Donetsk)
Christian Atsu (Chelsea)
Sam Byram (Leeds)
Michael Dawson (Tottenham)
Davide Faraoni (Udinese)
Bruno Zuculini (Man City)
Micah Richards (Man City)
Oscar Duarte (Club Brugge)
Phillipp Wollscheid (Bayer Leverkusen)
Mbark Boussoufa (Lokomotiv Moscow)
Nacer Chadli (Tottenham)
Ryan Christie (Inverness CT)

We added six new names to the list this week, which takes our running total to 106.

Will Buckley finally became a Sunderland player, at the second time of asking. The winger almost joined the club in January with his Brighton teammate Liam Bridcutt but whilst Bridcutt completed his move, Buckley's move to the Stadium of Light fell through.

Thankfully for the player and Gus Poyet, his move to Sunderland did go through this time and the winger made his debut as a late substitute in the 2-2 draw at West Brom yesterday. Poyet was delighted to finally bring Buckley to the club, with the Uruguayan believing the player provides something that has been sorely missing from the Sunderland squad;

Will is a player with something that we've been missing for a while - pace.

He is very direct and can create things with speed and by going past people. He can take you up the pitch on his own.

Will can play anywhere across the front three and is a great addition for us.

While one winger joined the club yet another left, as Swedish youngster David Moberg Karlsson departed only a year after joining from IFK Gothenburg. The 20-year-old signed a four-year deal with Danish side FC Nordsjælland after struggling to make an impact at Sunderland and during his loan spell with SPL side Kilmarnock. Moberg Karlsson thanked the club and the fans for his experience during his time at the Stadium of Light;

I want to thank Sunderland for one year of very good life and football experience. I've made many good friends in the club that I'll never forget. I also want to thank the fans for believing in me.

There were more updates on Fabio Borini's future, which is still as clear as mud. Poyet asked fans to trust him in his pursuit of the Italian and claimed the deal has not been help up because Borini doesn't want to join the club;

It's not the case [that Borini is opposed to the move]. I can assure every single supporter that is not the case. Please trust me.

I cannot tell you everything because it's not fair on anybody. But it's not like Borini doesn't want to come and we're trying to convince him.

I talked to Fabio and that is not the case. It's about doing it at the right time.

He's come back to fitness and training with the team. So he wouldn't be fit for tomorrow anyway.

So calm, please!

Poyet did say that he is not prepared to wait forever for a player who is clearly his number one target;

I'm just not trying to put a deadline on it. We need a player in that position and we are ready to move on and have an option.

But of course, what happens if you move on and he's still available? It's a tricky situtation.

Despite Poyet's claims, there have been reports that Sunderland have in fact already moved on and started looking at alternatives, something backed up by the North East reporter for The Times, George Caulkin;

Despite what Gus Poyet said today, think #Safc have all but moved on re Borini. Best chance would appear to be another loan close to ...

— George Caulkin (@CaulkinTheTimes) August 15, 2014

... deadline, but club actively pursuing other options - loan market (for other forwards) in particular. Been pointing this way for a while.

— George Caulkin (@CaulkinTheTimes) August 15, 2014

One possible alternative to Borini who was linked this week was Tottenham's Nacer Chadli. The Belgian international is believed to be surplus to requirements at White Hart Lane and according to the Sunday People Sunderland are interested in taking the winger on a season-long loan.

Mauricio Pochettino will have to trim the Spurs squad before the window closes, with 32 senior players at his disposal and only 25 allowed under Premier League rules, and Chadli has been strongly linked with a move away but it's thought Tottenham would prefer to sell the player outright rather than sanctioning a loan deal.

A left sided winger who can also play up front, Chadli regularly cuts inside to have a shot with his right foot, which would make him seem a natural replacement for Borini. He starred in Holland for Twente but has struggled to make an impact in the Premier League so far for Spurs, which is a similar situation as to what Borini found himself before he joined on loan last season.

The club are believed to be scouting Ryan Christie of Inverness Caledonian Thistle, the attacking midfielder has been making a name for himself as of late and Sunderland are one of more than a dozen English clubs actively watching the 19-year-old. Poyet and Lee Congerton are hoping to strengthen the development squad and the club have been actively looking for new talent in Scotland, with the likes of Ryan Gauld, John Souttar, Jordan McGhee and Andrew Robertson all linked with the club in the last few months.

Poyet has made no secret of the fact he wants to add another full back to the squad and Micah Richards is the latest name to be thrown into the hat. According to the Telegraph, Sunderland are interested in signing the 26-year-old who has been told he can leave the Etihad after falling behind Bacary Sagna and Pablo Zabaleta in the pecking order.

Although it would look a good signing on paper, Richards' wages would be an issue and for all the many positive aspects to his game, there have to be doubts about whether he's accomplished enough on the ball to fit into a Poyet side. He would certainly add an attacking threat from right back though and he could be groomed as an eventual replacement for one of Wes Brown and John O'Shea but with the recent arrival of Billy Jones, as well as Brown and Santiago Vergini able to cover right back, Sam Byram looks a better bet as a youngster who can eventually be the long term right back.

That is particularly true as centre half is a more pressing concern than right back, even with Brown as a makeshift full back yesterday due to the absence of Jones and Vergini. John O'Shea and Brown can't be relied upon to play every game this season due to their age, Vergini improved last season as he adapted to the Premier League but did initially look shaky in central defence and Valentin Roberge is likely to remain as back up. That leaves a pressing need for experienced cover in the middle of our defence and Sunderland were linked with a couple of new central defenders this week.

The first is German international Philipp Wollscheid. The Bayer Leverkusen defender looks likely to leave the club this summer and Sky Sports have reported that Sunderland are one of a number of Premier League clubs weighing up a move for the 25-year-old. Despite Sky Sports reporting that he would be available on loan with an option to buy, that is nothing something that would appeal to the player;

A loan would be a strange situation...that is not the situation that I seek.

The other new named linked is Oscar Duarte who starred in the World Cup for Costa Rica and is currently on the books of Belgian side Club Brugge. The Daily Mail claimed Poyet wants the 25-year-old to add extra mobility to the centre of Sunderland's back defence and reports in Costa Rica say Sunderland do indeed have an interest in Duarte.

Neither fits the profile of an experienced Premier League defender that it's thought Poyet was targeting but with only two weeks left in the transfer window we may have had to look further afield for competition for Brown and O'Shea with very few real alternatives available in this country.

The final link of the week was with Mbark Boussoufa of Lokomotiv Moscow, with the Mirror reporting Sunderland, QPR and Hull were all interested in signing in the midfielder. Boussoufa is hoping to get a free transfer from Lokomotiv and the Russian club have confirmed both he and Lassana Diarra will not play for the club again. Boussafa can play as an attacking central midfielder, who can also play out wide (similarly to previous Sunderland target Cristian Rodriguez) and had a three year spell in England in his youth with Chelsea. It still seems unlikely that we will pursue a 30-year-old player who has never actually played in the Premier League, despite the lure of a talented player being available on a free transfer.

Bruno Zuculini's move to Sunderland fell through due to Premier League regulations stating a player cannot be transferred to another Premier League club in the same window that the player's registration was acquired.

In outgoing news, Sunderland rejected an offer of around £5m from West Ham United for Connor Wickham. West Ham soon moved on to sign Diafra Sakho from Metz and Poyet was not surprised at receiving a bid for one of his players but hopes to keep Wickham at the club, with talks scheduled to take place in the future, likely to be once the transfer window closes;

We haven't offered a contract because everything is agreed that, at the right time when everything is calm, there will be a negotiation for him to stay here.

It doesn't mean he will definitely stay because maybe he won't agree a contract!

But I don't want people to think that we have offered a contract and he has turned it down. That is not the case.

We are in agreement that we want him to stay.

I would like not to listen to any more offers, for any player now, but you can't stop them.

Steven Fletcher was also linked with a move away, as Steve Bruce's Hull are believed to be sniffing around after selling striker Shane Long to Southampton for an almost unbelievable £12m. Although the club won't want to lose Fletcher with so little left in the transfer window, you suspect that they would happily sell if they could get their money back, which also just happens to be £12m. Hull had an £8m bid for the Scottish international turned down in January, so it would be no surprise if they revisited their interest in Fletcher.

Finally, Alfred N'Diaye's protracted move to Real Betis drags on, despite the player not being given a squad number by Poyet. Betis are very keen to re-sign the player after his successful loan spell but his wages are believed to be a stumbling block after the Spanish club agreed a deal with Sunderland. Elche were touted as a possible destination but N'Diaye was only being used as leverage in Elche's pursuit of Swansea's Jose Canas, another potential suitor Celta Vigo dropped their interest after signing Nemanja Radoja and although there is Turkish interest in the midfielder, N'Diaye's reluctance to return to that country leaves Betis has his only real option at this moment in time.

That's your lot for this week but stay tuned to Roker Report throughout the summer as we keep you up to date with all the transfer news and rumours. Also, feel free to keep in touch with our dedicated Transfer Centre, which you can do by CLICKING HERE.