Busy week ahead transfer-wise; Ndong still interesting potential suitors?

Well the transfer window is slowly closing with little under a week remaining of bloated transfer fees and incessant rumours linking every man and his dog to one club or another. Personally, I can’t wait until it’s closed - especially after seeing several youth players snatching their chance to impress this summer.

Anyway, let’s start with the news that various media outlets are now suggesting West Ham’s alleged interest in Didier Ndong is wide of the mark.

It was reported last week that Ndong was attracting the interest of Lyon, but in the last day or so West Ham have been linked with the Gabonese energizer bunny after their pursuit of William Carvalho from Sporting Lisbon has slowed.

However, David Coverdale of the cough Sun cough noted in a Tweet yesterday that the Hammers interest in Ndong isn’t particularly solid:

Grayson came out and spoke about the alleged interest stating that:

You want to keep your best players and he’s one of our better players. When he (Ndong) cost the club £13.6m it shows he’s a good player and he’s performed very well so far. Any player that leaves the club it will have to be for the right reasons and the right value. We’ve not selling people for well below their current value, we’d be foolish to do that.

You’d imagine the right offer would tempt Sunderland into selling. and although West Ham appear to have cooled any potential interest, media in France is still suggest Lyon are interested in signing NDong.

French news outlet, RMC Sport, suggested yesterday that:

According to our information, the 24-year-old relay driver is on the shelves of Olympique Lyonnais. The Rhodanian club needs to be strengthened in midfield. It takes someone to help Lucas Tousart, and the Gabonese international seems to fit the profile sought. OL is already discussing with Ndong. But beware, the Gones are not the only ones to woo the former Lorient. West Ham also showed up. The Hammers have even made an offer to the Sunderland executives.

Who knows what the future holds for the ‘relay driver’ (lol). We’ll just have to wait and see.

Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images

As already reported by Roker Report yesterday, Wahbi Khazri is another player rumoured to be moving on with several Turkish sides credited with being interested in acquiring the Tunisian’s services.

Khazri himself has suggested he’s keen to move, and Sunderland will be eager to bring cash in from a potential deal in order to free up funds for Simon Grayson.

In my head, I want to leave. I am open to listening to offers and projects and above all I am looking for a project that allows me to kick-start and enjoy life on the pitch.

- Khazri

On the other end of the spectrum, Sunderland are still linked with Snodgrass, but that deal looks increasingly unlikely as Steve Bruce’s, Aston Villa, side are cleat favourites to sign the Scottish international. Grayson did comment on the potential deal, saying:

We have been linked with a lot of players this month, and don’t talk about individuals too much. We are in the market for good footballers who will make us better. We want players who can affect the team. If Snodgrass became available we would like to talk to him but we have others in mind who we would like to talk to.

Ross McCormack is still the name on most source’s lips though, and Snodgrass’ move to Villa could pave the way for Grayson to sign the out of favour Villain either permanently or on loan.

Again it’s all speculation, but the next 6 days could be action packed.