Sunderland AFC news and transfer rumours: Championship winger linked as former coach joins Sam Allardyce at West Brom

Sunderland’s next three League One games have been postponed due to an outbreak of COVID-19 at the Academy of Light – while transfer talk is beginning to increase ahead of next month’s January transfer window.
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New Black Cats boss Lee Johnson will be hoping to add to his squad at the start of next year and will already be assessing the market to work out which players may be available.

The Wearsiders have already been linked with a move for Barnsley winger Luke Thomas, who is reportedly attracting interest from several League One clubs.

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According to Gloucestershire Live, Sunderland and Oxford are tracking the 21-year-old who has made 14 Championship appearances this campaign.

Sunderland have been linked with a move for Barnsley winger Luke Thomas.Sunderland have been linked with a move for Barnsley winger Luke Thomas.
Sunderland have been linked with a move for Barnsley winger Luke Thomas.

Thomas has also made two appearances for the England’s under-20s team.

Former coach joins West Brom coaching staff

Elsewhere, former Sunderland coach Robbie Stockdale has joined Sam Allardyce’s backroom staff at West Brom.

Stockdale took caretaker charge of the Black Cats three times during his time at the Stadium of Light and worked with Allardyce during the 2015/16 season.

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The former Middlesbrough defender spent six years at Sunderland before leaving the club in 2018.

Youth games postponed

Finally, Sunderland's under-23 and under-18 sides have seen their next matches postponed due to the Covid-19 outbreak at the club.

The under-23s were due to play Reading away on Friday while the under-18s were preparing for a Tyne-Wear derby away at Newcastle on Saturday.

Sunderland have confirmed five cases of Covid-19 among the first-team squad which led to the Academy of Light training ground being closed for 10 days.

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