ROKER ROUNDUP: Sunderland NOT interested in left back despite reports; is Rodwell off to Greece?

Rodwell to Greece?

As Jack Rodwell’s controversial Sunderland career draws to a close, speculation is increasing about where the former England international may end up.

He has been linked with a move to the MLS, with MLSsoccer.com journalist Sam Stejskal confirming that Rodwell’s name had been circulated to a number of MLS clubs.

Retired American international - and now ESPN pundit - Taylor Twellman responded to that report by saying that the New England Revolution had tried and failed to sign the 27-year-old back in January:

As well as receiving interest from clubs in the MLS, Rodwell has now been linked with a surprising move to the Greek Super League side Aris Thessaloniki.

According to sport24.gr, Rodwell is in talks with the club who were promoted to the Greek top flight last season after finishing second in the Football League.

Stewart Donald spoke about Rodwell’s future on the most recent episode of the Roker Rapport podcast, and said that the player’s is likely to leave this week:

It’s unlikely that Jack Rodwell will be here next week - him and his agent have been excellent to deal with.

When players don’t want to be here we need to be reasonable with them and they need to be reasonable with us.

Jack Rodwell is being sensible, and if he’s being sensible then there is a chance he will leave.

Despite the interest in his services, Sunderland will not get any transfer fee for Rodwell, with the likely to become a free agent before any club attempts to sign him.

Photo by Mark Runnacles/Getty Images

Transfer rumours

Football journalist Alan Nixon has claimed there may soon be one in and one out at the Stadium of Light in the near future, with Callum McManaman said to be interesting former club Wigan Athletic and Preston’s Tommy Spurr interesting Jack Ross.

Spurr is a 30-year-old who can fill in at centre-back and left-back, but he endured an injury hit campaign at Preston North End last season and their recent signing of Andrew Hughes from Peterborough United - who can play in the same positions - has pushed Spurr towards the exit door at Deepdale.

Preston journalist Dave Seddon said on Twitter than Sunderland were in the running for the defender, but that a rival League One club - rather than Oldham Athletic - are the main contenders for his signature.

However, Roker Report understands that Sunderland don’t currently have any interest in the defender, with Cameron Borthwick-Jackson our main target for the left-back role.

McManaman only signed for Sunderland on transfer deadline day last summer, when he signed a two-year deal after leaving West Bromwich Albion but had a stop-start season and struggled to ever get going at the Stadium of Light.

According to Nixon, Wigan are hoping to re-sign a player who was a big hero at the DW Stadium after his man-of-the-match display in the 2013 FA Cup Final victory over Manchester City.

With the player hardly shining at Sunderland and being a relatively high earner, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him depart this summer, although you’d hope that we could get him off the books permanently rather than loaning him out.