Roker Roundup: Sunderland receive €1m cash boost as Besiktas cough up for Lens

Another instalment paid for Lens

Besiktas signed Dutch winger Jeremain Lens from Sunderland in August 2017, initially on-loan before signing a permanent deal in the summer of 2018.

The fee for the Netherlands international was said to be £6m, including the £1.5m the Turkish outfit paid to sign the player on-loan, and that fee is still being repaid.

Fotospor say Besiktas have notified UEFA on Friday of payments that they have paid for outstanding transfer fees, which includes their third €1m instalment of the fee paid to Sunderland for Lens.

Although that is extra money in the coffers for new Sunderland owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus, Sunderland lost £6m on Lens after they signed him from Dynamo Kiev for £12m in 2015.

Photo by Ian Horrocks/Sunderland AFC via Getty Images

KLD makes new investment

Speaking of the new Sunderland owner, he has not rested on his laurels after purchasing the club.

Both Kyril and his twin brother Maurice Louis-Dreyfus have invested in Swiss esports outfit Ovation, with their official website saying they have invested an undisclosed amount which will go towards funding and growth.

Speaking about the deal on ovation-esports.com, Maurice says it was a natural extension for the pair to move into the esports scene.

Being part of a family with long-standing ties to professional sports, and myself having grownup with video games, it was a natural extension for us to move into the Esports market. The principals of sustainability and innovation at the heart of Ovation made them a perfect fit.

We look forward to supporting them in developing their vision of becoming a sustainable, vibrant and leading player. We believe that by leveraging Ovation’s know-how and expertise combined with our experience in traditional sports, we have a very solid foundation to achieve our goals.

New deal for Alvarez

He may go down as possibly the worst Sunderland signing of all time, thanks to his injury prone spell and the subsequent court rulings that he will be best remembered for, but Ricky Alvarez is still playing professional football in 2021.

The Argentine winger is a regular starter for Velez Sarsfield and has just signed a new deal that will keep him at the club until December 2022.

Speaking to the club’s official website, Alvarez said he was very proud to earn a new contract with the club where he started his career:

I’m very happy and I’m very proud.

I have a very great appreciation for the club and still here is the cutest thing because I consider it my house. I am very proud of this renewal.

We are doing very well and have many challenges ahead of us. We have a very nice group and we work very hard to get things right.