Roker Roundup: Was Swansea manager Graham Potter scouting Sunderland’s Tom Flanagan at Pompey?

Swans boss scouting Flanagan?

Swansea City boss Graham Potter was spotted at Fratton Park on Thursday night, as Sunderland overcome Portsmouth to advance to the League One Play-Off Final.

Although there is interest in his services from Portsmouth’s south coast rivals Brighton & Hove Albion, Wales Online claim Potter was there to scout potential transfer targets, one of which was Sunderland’s Tom Flanagan.

The report claims that the Swans had interest in Flanagan back in January and Potter was likely at the game to see the defender in action, as well as to scout Portsmouth defender Matt Clarke.

Photo by Jordan Mansfield/Getty Images

Hetzke joins Palace

Former Sunderland defender Steve Hetzke has joined Premier League club Crystal Palace as it’s Performance Director as well it’s head of academy operations.

The 63-year-old was previously at Swansea City where he was the Welsh club’s head of academy recruitment. Palace are hoping to upgrade their academy to Category 1 and hope Hetzke is the man to oversee that ambition.

Hetzke had one season at Sunderland, a season that also ended in relegation to the third tier and cemented his reputation as one of the club’s worst ever players.

Reported target says goodbye

Prolific Ayr United striker Lawrence Shankland has been linked with Sunderland regularly this season and the 23-year-old is certain to leave the Scottish club after posting his goodbyes on social media.

Shankland is out of contract with Ayr and took to Twitter to thank the club and wish them the best of luck for the future.

He scored 34 goals and registered eight assists this season and in his two seasons at the club he scored an astonishing 61 goals and provided a further 24 goals for his team-mates.