'Bizarre' - EFL chairman lifts lid on Sunderland's botched transfer move for Championship defender

Peterborough United chairman Darragh McAthony has labelled Sunderland’s deadline-day move for experienced centre-back Mark Beevers as “bizarre”.
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Posh had allowed Siriki Dembele to join Bournemouth, meaning that they were loathed to let any further players leave Darren Ferguson's squad.

Beevers, 32, has made 13 appearances this season and has won three promotions from League One.

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Sunderland had shown an interest in Beevers earlier in the window, when the defender was available, but decision-makers decided against signing him due to his age and wage packet.

Mark Beevers of Peterborough United.Mark Beevers of Peterborough United.
Mark Beevers of Peterborough United.

On deadline day, however, Sunderland’s position changed with the club having just lost 6-0 in League One against Bolton Wanderers.

The drubbing also lead to the sacking of Lee Johnson, who was said to be keen on signing Beevers.

"We had Sunderland come in for [Mark] Beevers. Which was really bizarre.” Posh chairman McAanthony said on The Hard Truth podcast.

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“Three weeks before we had made Beeves available to potentially go out and get games.

“He wasn’t in our team and he’d come back from an injury. So we thought maybe does he go out?

“He’s on a good wage, it would free up some space to do some business ourselves.

“Again, when you’re working within a budget and it is tight, you are trying to rob Peter to pay Paul.”

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“He continued: “Beevers. If he’s not playing and he’s not involved and he has had an injury. If we could get him out his wages could free us up to bring someone in.

“We approached clubs earlier in the window and one of them was Sunderland. I know Lee Johnson did want him. Sunderland at the time decided that they didn’t like his age and his wages.

“And then come deadline day we are getting phone calls from them asking to bring Beevers in. I think they had just lost 6-0.

“I’m not having a dig at Sunderland but at that stage, we had made the decision.

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“Me, Barry [Fry] and the manager had made the decision that no one barring Dembele was leaving on deadline day.

“Beeves is our club captain and the manager has got him back in and around the team We don’t want to lose him now as we can’t replace him.”

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