Bolton Wanderers 'close' to signing ex-Sunderland goalkeeper as League One rivals conclude transfer deal

The transfer window is now officially open and Sunderland have work to do.
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And there has been plenty of news surrounding Lee Johnson’s Black Cats and their League One rivals over the past couple of days.

Former Sunderland defender Gary Bennett has hailed the impact of Kyril Louis-Dreyfus and Lee Johnson on Wearside.

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Meanwhile, Roy Keane and Micah Richards shared an amusing paintballing joke involving Sunderland and Ipswich Town.

NAILSWORTH, ENGLAND - APRIL 27: Joel Dixon of Barrow during the Sky Bet League Two match between Forest Green Rovers and Barrow at The New Lawn on April 27, 2021 in Nailsworth, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)NAILSWORTH, ENGLAND - APRIL 27: Joel Dixon of Barrow during the Sky Bet League Two match between Forest Green Rovers and Barrow at The New Lawn on April 27, 2021 in Nailsworth, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)
NAILSWORTH, ENGLAND - APRIL 27: Joel Dixon of Barrow during the Sky Bet League Two match between Forest Green Rovers and Barrow at The New Lawn on April 27, 2021 in Nailsworth, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)

Here, though, we take you through some of the key Sunderland and League One stories from around the web that you may have missed today:

Sunderland’s rivals sign goalkeeper on permanent deal

Franco Ravizzoli has joined MK Dons on a free transfer.

The 23-year-old Argentinian began his football career in South America with River Plate before making the move to England in January 2020.

Ravizzoli spent time training with the Dons during the second half of the 2020-21 campaign.

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And now, that move has been made permanent ahead of next season,

“I couldn’t be happier right now,” Ravizzoli said to MK Dons’ website. “Ever since I was a kid, I wanted to be a professional footballer – I am so grateful for the opportunity.

“I have enjoyed my time here so far - everybody has been so nice and welcoming. The Goalkeeper union is brilliant and I’ve enjoyed working with Deano (Thornton), who has helped to make us better every day.

“I love the way that we play football – everyone who loves football, should love this way of playing. When I was in Argentina, I played for River Plate and I was taught to play this way, so it suits me.”

Bolton Wanderers close to securing transfer deal

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Bolton Wanderers are close to clinching a deal for Barrow goalkeeper Joel Dixon.

That’s according to the Bolton News.

The 27-year-old is out of contract this summer and has persistently been talked about as a Bolton target in the last few weeks.

Reports state that a deal is now ‘understood to be close.’

Recent talk suggested that Barrow were still trying to convince the former Sunderland trainee to stay put.

However, the stopper now looks likely to join Bolton, who were promoted to League One at the end of the season.

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