Sunderland AFC news: Reported Sunderland and Portsmouth target set for exit as Jan Kirchhoff finds a new club

Over a month has past since the start of the summer transfer window – and Sunderland have already been linked with several players.
Oxford defender Curtis Nelson will become a free agent this month.Oxford defender Curtis Nelson will become a free agent this month.
Oxford defender Curtis Nelson will become a free agent this month.

One name which has cropped up this week is that of Oxford defender Curtis Nelson, who played in every League One game for the U’s last season.

Nelson, 26, will become a free agent at the end of the month when his contract expires at the Kassam Stadium.

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And Oxford boss Karl Robinson appears to have given up hope that the defender will sign a new deal, with reports suggesting Portsmouth are also interested.

“I’ll be honest, I don’t foresee Curtis being with us next season. I think that’s quite obvious,” Robinson told the Oxford Mail.

“I spoke to him about four weeks ago. I presume he’s got something lined up, but we don’t know.

“I want to thank Curtis for everything he’s done,” the U’s head coach said.

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“He gave us everything, at the back end of the season he was arguably one of our better players.”

Meanwhile former Sunderland midfielder Jan Kirchhoff has found a new club, after joining German third tier side KFC Uerdingen on a two-year deal.

Kirchoff, 28, was signed by former Sunderland boss Sam Allardyce in 2016 and played a key part as the Black Cats survived in the Premier League.

Yet the German rarely featured the following campaign, which came before brief spells at Bolton and German side FC Magdeburg.

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When asked about the player, Uerdingen’s head coach Heiko Vogel said: “With Jan Kirchhoff [we have] a great character and absolute key player to change us, he will strengthen and lead the team again decisively.”