Roker Roundup: Sunderland’s sights are set on signing 21-year old Walsall captain George Dobson

Sunderland sets sights on midfielder

Sunderland are hoping to sign Walsall midfielder George Dobson during this transfer window.

Reports in the Midlands suggest the club are hoping to sign the former West Ham United and Arsenal trainee, and Roker Report understands that Sunderland’s interest is genuine.

The club are hoping to add height and athleticism throughout the team and 6’1” box to box midfielder Dobson fits that bill.

At just 21 and with over 80 appearances to his name in League One - as well as a short stint in the Eredivisie with Sparta Rotterdam - he has the experience to feature immediately and the potential to grow with the team should we return to higher divisions.

He is currently Walsall’s captain and skippered the side in both games against Sunderland last season, the 2-2 at the Bescot Stadium and the 2-1 home win at the Stadium of Light - a game in which he got an assist when his free kick was flicked in by Josh Gordon.

Dobson’s pre-season with Walsall has already started and he featured in a 2-1 defeat at Alfreton Town on Saturday afternoon.

Photo by Pete Norton/Getty Images

Grayson says Sunderland was his biggest challenge

Former Sunderland manager Simon Grayson was appointed Blackpool manager last week, returning to Bloomfield Road 11 years after the left to take up the reigns at Leeds United.

Blackpool - like Sunderland - have had a difficult few years with the club finally ridding itself of the Oyston ownership during the summer.

Speaking to BBC Radio Lancashire, Grayson maintains that despite the challenges at Blackpool, he has the support of the new chairman, which leaves Sunderland as his most challenging job:

No, I think my Sunderland job was the most challenging without a shadow of a doubt.

I’m excited because I’ve got an owner who is prepared to help me and add things to the training ground and give me all the tools that are required to be successful.

I don’t think it’s a big challenge because I’m going into a group who I can work with and can add to rather than coming in mid-season where you’re inheriting a group.

Hopefully I can implement my ideas and if I can I think we’ll be in a strong position.

During his time at Sunderland, Grayson was featured in the Netflix documentary Sunderland ‘Til I Die but although he believes it did not do him any harm, he was unhappy with the editing and will not want a similar experience in his dressing rooms in the future:

It’s not something I wanted to happen in the first place (at Sunderland) but it had already been agreed.

Not that the documentary did me any harm that much but I just think the privacy of a club and what goes on in the dressing room can make players feel uncomfortable.

I’ve watched it and it’s a good documentary in terms of what it shows about the club and how troubled times can be, but there is a lot of things in there I wasn’t happy about because of how it was edited.

But that’s what documentaries are there to do sometimes, to make good guys and make others look like villains, but it won’t be something I will be looking to do at another club in the future.

It was a good insight to show how a club should be run or shouldn’t be run and showing how passionate supporters are.

Photo by Alex Dodd - CameraSport via Getty Images