Sunderland hope to sign Liverpool youngster - as Villa and Palace join Watson battle
SUNDERLAND are hoping to win the battle to sign Liverpool striker Jayden Danns on loan ahead of tomorrow night’s transfer deadline.
However, the Black Cats are having to deal with increased interest in Tommy Watson, with Aston Villa and Crystal Palace now also lining up bids for the teenage winger.
Sunderland’s recruitment team remain determined to bring in a forward before the transfer window closes at 11pm tomorrow night, with Danns now regarded as a leading target.
The Black Cats hierarchy are understood to have lodged their interest with their counterparts at Anfield, and while they are far from the only club battling to try to land Danns on a season-long loan, there is optimism that a deal can be struck.
Blackburn Rovers are also known to have spoken to Liverpool officials over Danns, with at least three other Championship clubs reported to be waiting in the wings, but Sunderland are hoping their record for developing and protecting young talent will help persuade the Anfield top brass that the Stadium of Light is the best place for the 18-year-old.
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Danns, who is the son of former professional Neil Danns, first joined Liverpool at the age of just eight and has progressed through the club’s academy in the last decade.
He made his Premier League debut just over a year ago, and played in last season’s Carabao Cup final as Liverpool beat Chelsea at Wembley. He has made three senior appearances in the current campaign, but was not part of the squad that beat Bournemouth yesterday, with Arne Slot having previously admitted that a decision over a loan move would be made right at the end of the transfer window.
“I can give you a certain answer now,” said Slot, when asked about a loan move for Danns. “But – of course, we are not hoping that this is going to happen – if they then leave the training pitch and we are three injuries along the training session then it’s going to be a different answer.
“So, it’s a process we are discussing a lot about, and these decisions will be pushed towards the end of the window – which is almost there.”
Sunderland will also spend the final two days of the window wrestling over what to do with Watson, who is now the subject of considerable interest from the Premier League.
The Black Cats rebuffed a fresh approach from Brighton at the end of last week, having previously rejected a bid from the Seagulls in the summer transfer window.
Sunderland’s recruitment team, led by sporting director Kristjaan Speakman, still feel Brighton’s valuation of Watson is nowhere near their own, but there is every chance the south coast club will return to the table in the next couple of days with an improved offer.
However, they are unlikely to be the only top-flight club pushing for a deal for Watson, with Aston Villa and Crystal Palace both understood to be lining up approaches of their own.
Both clubs are keen to land Watson this month, leaving Sunderland with a decision to make over the academy product, who is set to return from injury in the next couple of weeks.
Ideally, the Black Cats would like to keep Watson, who remains at a formative stage of his career, with the potential to develop into a top-class talent in the next few years. Sunderland also have Romaine Mundle returning from injury though, meaning Watson could struggle for game time on the left-hand side in the remainder of the season, and it would be hard to turn down bids of £20m-plus for an 18-year-old who has only made six Championship starts.
