Sunderland AFC transfer gossip: Cats receive £853k boost from transfer, Joey Barton could face legal action, Louis-Dreyfus brothers make investment, chairman of promotion rivals talks League One run-in

Sunderland are set to face Oxford United at the Stadium of Light on Good Friday.
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A victory against Bristol Rovers last weekend means the Black Cats stay in the hunt for the automatic promotion spots with rivals Hull City and Peterborough United still to come.

Indeed, Lee Johnson’s Black Cats are unbeaten in their last 12 games in all competitions and have lost just one in their last 18 fixtures.

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Here, we take you through today’s Sunderland news that you may have missed:

Joey Barton, manager of Bristol Rovers, reacts following the Sky Bet League One match between Bristol Rovers and Sunderland at the Memorial Stadium on March 27, 2021.Joey Barton, manager of Bristol Rovers, reacts following the Sky Bet League One match between Bristol Rovers and Sunderland at the Memorial Stadium on March 27, 2021.
Joey Barton, manager of Bristol Rovers, reacts following the Sky Bet League One match between Bristol Rovers and Sunderland at the Memorial Stadium on March 27, 2021.

Peterborough United owner talks about the title race

The owner of Sunderland’s League One promotion rivals Peterborough United has spoken about the run-in in League One

Speaking on his podcast, Darragh MacAnthony said: “We’ve got some big games coming up, but nothing is decided, not everyone’s going to win every game for the rest of the season.

“There’s a lot of big teams around us; it’s exciting to be a Posh fan because there’s so much going on at the moment.

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“Credit to the players and manager, it was a bad night on Tuesday night (at Blackpool) then to go out there and score seven goals, probably could have scored more.

“This weekend there’s good news, all our injured players are coming back so we’ll have a fully fit squad for the run-in.

“It’s going to be exciting, the way it should be.”

Kyril and Maurice Louis-Dreyfus make new investment

Kyril and his twin brother Maurice Louis-Dreyfus have invested in Swiss esports outfit Ovation for an undisclosed fee.

Speaking on Ovation’s website, Maurice said: “Being part of a family with long-standing ties to professional sports, and myself having grown up with video games, it was a natural extension for us to move into the Esports market.

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"The principles of sustainability and innovation at the heart of Ovation made them a perfect fit.

“We look forward to supporting them in developing their vision of becoming a sustainable, vibrant and leading player.

"We believe that by leveraging Ovation’s know-how and expertise combined with our experience in traditional sports, we have a very solid foundation to achieve our goals.”

Joey Barton could be set for legal battle after latest comments

Joey Barton could face legal battle with Bristol Rovers predecessors Paul Tisdale and Ben Garner.

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That’s after the former Newcastle United midfielder blasted duo as 'negligent' and their training sessions 'a farce' and a 'criminal' way to prepare.

The Daily Mail reports legal action is being considered and lawyers have been contacted following Barton’s rant.

Rovers were two points above the League One relegation zone when Barton took over and he has overseen just two wins from 10 games.

Sunderland receive financial boost following Jeremain Lens deal

Besiktas have reportedly paid another instalment to Sunderland for Jeremain Lens.

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The Wearside club purchased Lens from Dynamo Kiev for £12m back in 2015.

The Turkish outfit signed Dutch winger from Sunderland in August 2017.

The deal was initially a loan move before Lens penned a permanent contract the following summer.

Fotospor state that Besiktas have now paid for outstanding transfer fees to Sunderland.

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That is said to include their third and final €1m (£853k) instalment of the deal agreed to bring Lens to Turkey.

The initial fee to take Lens to Besiktas was said to be £6m.

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