Sunderland’s search for a new manager continues months after the dismissal of Michael Beale. Despite starting the season well, the Black Cats faltered, sacking two managers and ultimately slipping into the bottom half of the Championship table.
The hunt for a new manager has been challenging, with Sunderland struggling to find the right candidate. As this search drags on, we’ve gathered the latest updates on Sunderland’s Championship rivals.
Leeds United is likely to face significant interest in their star player, Crysencio Summerville, following an impressive campaign from the Dutchman. According to TeamTalk, Fulham is keen on acquiring Summerville to improve on their previous season’s performance. Alongside Fulham, Chelsea and Liverpool have also shown interest, which might force Leeds to sell if a substantial offer comes through. However, EFL pundit Don Goodman told MOT Leeds News that Summerville is unlikely to push for a move aggressively.
“I think the players will respect the club, and they’ll respect Daniel Farke more than anything,” said Goodman. “He handled those situations incredibly well last year. I was really impressed by him. That’s why I’d give the job he’s done at Leeds an upgrade because he walked into a real mess.”
Summerville’s contributions were crucial for Leeds last season. In February, Farke praised Summerville’s performance, saying, “His performances and end product, but also his willingness to work for the team, have been outstanding. To deliver in this league, you have to be on it more or less each and every day on the training pitch, and that is what he’s doing. It is no coincidence that he has provided so many decisive goals and assists. We don’t have to speak about his potential, because for Cry the sky is the limit. But to show consistency, that is quite crucial.”
Meanwhile, ESPN pundit Ian Darke believes that Everton should target Blackburn Rovers forward Sammie Szmodics, despite their financial issues. Darke wrote on ESPN, “Finances are a touchy subject at Goodison Park after the club was hit with two separate points deductions by the Premier League for breaching financial regulations. But they’ll need to splash some cash to solve their main problem – a lack of goals. Blackburn Rovers’ Sammie Szmodics, who scored 27 goals on a struggling team in the Championship during the 2023-24 campaign, could be the right player at the right price.” Szmodics secured the Championship golden boot last season with his 27 goals for Blackburn.
Szmodics himself commented on his future, saying, “I love playing for Blackburn, it’s a great football club, but obviously when you score 33 goals in a season there’s going to be speculation. I don’t think anyone would begrudge me a move if a Premier League team came calling. It is my dream to play in the Premier League. I’m not saying that opportunity will definitely arise, but I don’t think people could blame me for wanting to go and play there. If a Premier League team came knocking then it would be stupid for me not to see what could happen. If I stay at Blackburn, then hopefully I can keep scoring goals next season. I’d love to stay at Blackburn because you want to be the main man, and I’ve loved having that role this season. I’ve kept Blackburn up and done a really good job, so if I’m still there next season, then happy days.”
Sunderland’s search for a new manager goes on months after Michael Beale was sacked. The Black Cats made a mess of last season despite a decent start, sacking two managers and ultimately slipping into the bottom half of the Championship table.
The search for a new manager has not gone much better, at least not so far, with Sunderland struggling to appoint a new manager. As that search goes on, we have rounded up all the latest news surrounding the Black Cats’ Championship rivals.
Leeds United are likely to be bombarded with interest for key star Crysencio Summerville this summer after a superb campaign for the Dutchman. TeamTalk are now reporting that Fulham are interested in making a move as they look to better a less than ideal season of last.
Alongside the Cottagers, Chelsea and Liverpool are said to be interested in a move for Summerville, a player Leeds will surely have to sell if they receive a large offer. In the meantime, EFL pundit Don Goodman has told MOT Leeds News that he does not believe the player himself will push for an exit with forceful measures.
“I think the players will respect the club, and they’ll respect Daniel Farke more than anything,” said Goodman. “He handled those situations incredibly well last year. I was really impressed by him. That’s why I’d give the job he’s done at Leeds an upgrade because he walked into a real mess.”
Summerville was pivotal for Leeds last season, with Farke saying back in February: “His performances and end product, but also his willingness to work for the team, have been outstanding. To deliver in this league you have to be on it more or less each and every day on the training pitch, and that is what he’s doing. It is no coincidence that he has provided so many decisive goals and assists. We don’t have to speak about his potential, because for Cry the sky is the limit. But to show consistency, that is quite crucial.”
ESPN pundit Ian Darke believes Everton should be targeting a deal for Blackburn Rovers forward Sammie Szmodics despite their financial issues.
“Finances are a touchy subject at Goodison Park after the club was hit with two separate points deductions by the Premier League for breaching financial regulations,” he wrote on ESPN.
“But they’ll need to splash some cash to solve their main problem – a lack of goals. Blackburn Rovers’ Sammie Szmodics, who scored 27 goals on a struggling team in the Championship during the 2023-24 campaign, could be the right player at the right price.” Szmodics won the Championship golden boot in the season just gone with 27 goals for the struggling Rovers.
Szmodics has said of his future: “I love playing for Blackburn, it’s a great football club, but obviously when you score 33 goals in a season there’s going to be speculation. I don’t think anyone would begrudge me a move if a Premier League team came calling. It is my dream to play in the Premier League, I’m not saying that opportunity will definitely arise, but I don’t think people could blame me for wanting to go and play there.
“If a Premier League team came knocking then it would be stupid for me not to see what could happen. If I stay at Blackburn, then hopefully I can keep scoring goals next season. I’d love to stay at Blackburn because you want to be the main man, and I’ve loved having that role this season. I’ve kept Blackburn up and done a really good job, so if I’m still there next season, then happy days.”
