Defender linked with Sunderland and Ipswich took 'significant pay cut' plus Callum Doyle involved in England win

Sunderland don’t have a game this weekend – but it’s still been a busy few days on Wearside.
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Here are some of the latest SAFC-related stories from around the web.

Defender takes pay cut for Portsmouth move

While completing the signings of winger Leon Dajaku and goalkeeper Thorben Hoffmann on deadline day, Sunderland weren’t able to bring in another full-back.

Millwall full-back Mahlon Romeo signed for Portasmouth on loan.Millwall full-back Mahlon Romeo signed for Portasmouth on loan.
Millwall full-back Mahlon Romeo signed for Portasmouth on loan.
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The Black Cats were linked with a late move for Millwall defender Mahlon Romeo, while Ipswich were also credited with interest in the 25-year-old.

Yet Romeo instead signed for Portsmouth on loan, with the defender taking a pay cut to move to Fratton Park.

“We had heard of his availability at the back end of last week, we were then told quite quickly that it looked like he was going somewhere else,” Pompey boss Danny Cowley told HampshireLive.

“That is what we anticipated and then on Monday morning, that kind of changed and the goalposts had moved. All of a sudden, there was a possibility that we could do it but it was still quite a long way away from what Millwall wanted and what we had available.

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“Also to Mahlon, who took a significant pay cut to make it happen which shows his desire to want come here and want to play to Portsmouth. I think there is obviously connections between the two clubs.”

International latest

Elsewhere, Sunderland defender Callum Doyle played 90 minutes for England’s under-19 side in a 2-0 friendly win over Italy earlier this week.

The 17-year-old centre-back has started every league game for the Black Cats since moving to Wearside on loan from Manchester City this summer.

England’s under-19s side have another friendly against Germany on Monday.

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Sunderland full-back Dennis Cirkin could also play for England’s under-20s side in a friendly against Romania on Monday.

Advocaat to feature in new documentary

Finally, former Sunderland boss Dick Advocaat will feature in a new documentary about Dutch club Feyenoord.

That One Word - Feyenoord premiered on Disney+ this week and follows the club during the 2020/21 season.

Advocaat left Feyenoord at the end of season and was appointed head coach of the Iraq national team in August.

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