SOCCER: ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE:SUNDERLAND MANAGER Steve Bruce could not hide his delight after snatching teenage striker Connor Wickham from under the noses of his more illustrious suitors.
Big-spending Liverpool, the club the 18-year-old Ipswich frontman has supported since he was a boy, as well as north London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham, have long been credited with an interest in the Hereford-born player.
However, amid speculation that one of them might attempt to hijack the Black Cats’ swoop for him after they showed their hand last night with a €9 million bid, the Wearside club made sure their move was decisive by tying him up in a four-year deal to leave Bruce beaming.
He said: “A number of top sides have been chasing Connor for some time now, so naturally we are absolutely delighted he has chosen to come to Sunderland.
“He’s still very young, but at 6ft 3in, he has a physical presence. With his height and style of play, he will offer us a threat in front of goal and complement our existing strikers. We have been watching him for a while now and he is improving and developing all the time. He’s a great prospect and I’m sure our supporters will love watching him play.”
Wickham’s fee could eventually rise to €13 million, depending on a series of add-ons, but Sunderland are confident they have got their hands on a player of genuine potential whose best days are ahead of him.
The England Under-21 international made his senior debut for Ipswich at the age of just 16 years and 11 days in April 2009, and scored nine Championship goals for the Suffolk club last season after establishing himself in the first team. He fits Bruce’s profile for young, hungry players, but having arrived with such a relatively large price tag, will have much to prove as he attempts to make his way in the Premier League.
Wickham’s physical presence will give Sunderland something they have largely lacked in attack since Kenwyne Jones’ switch to Stoke last summer, and he will provide a foil for record signing Asamoah Gyan.
The Ghanaian was the club’s only fit senior frontman at the end of last season and there is likely to be at least one more addition in that department with South Korea international Ji Dong-won close to completing his own move from Chunnam Dragons.
The signing of Wickham may, however, lessen the chances of a move to the Stadium of Light for Republic of Ireland striker Shane Long, who had been linked with the club.
Manchester United have confirmed Spain Under-21 goalkeeper David de Gea is to join them on a five-year contract. De Gea flew to Manchester on Monday for a medical and although the €20 million deal is still to be completed, he has agreed to leave Atletico Madrid for Old Trafford and take Alex Ferguson’s summer spending beyond €55 million.
The 20-year-old is rated as one of the brightest prospects in the game and Ferguson has no fears he will be able to fill the void left by the retirement of Edwin van der Sar.
De Gea, part of Spain’s victorious squad at the Uefa European Under-21 Championships last weekend, said: “I feel very proud and I can’t wait to start playing here. When a club the size of Manchester United comes in for you it obviously makes you very, very happy. I saw their interest as an extra motivation to work even harder to show off my ability.
“It’s a great privilege to be part of a club like United and I’m keen to do my best and show what I can do.”
United had known since Christmas that a replacement for Van der Sar would be needed.
Germany’s Manuel Neuer was also linked with an Old Trafford move, although he eventually opted for Bayern Munich.
However, it is thought Ferguson had already put De Gea at the top of his wanted list and has persuaded the youngster he can adapt to life with the Premier League champions.
With Anders Lindegaard only arriving at the club in December, it now appears likely Tomasz Kuszczak will be allowed to leave, even though the Pole was on the bench for last month’s Champions League final defeat to Barcelona.
