Sunderland AFC transfer news: Fresh Tommy Watson to Brighton claim made after £8.5million plus add-ons bid

Brighton are reportedly eyeing another bid for Sunderland youngster Tommy Watson during the summer transfer window.

Watson was again the subject of numerous bids from Brighton & Hove Albion in the latter stages of the January transfer window, after the Premier League club had made several bids on deadline day last summer. However, the winger stayed on Wearside during the winter with Sunderland unable to find a replacement.

However, a fresh report from Alan Nixon has claimed that Brighton are set to make another offer in the summer. He also adds that the Premier League club are unlikely to offer the same £8.5million plus add-ons bid that they did in the winter. Nixon claims that Brighton will offer less cash.

What does Alan Nixon’s Tommy Watson report say?

Nixon’s report reads: “Brighton are planning to offer LESS money for top winger talent Tommy Watson at Sunderland. The Seagulls had a bid of £8.5million plus extras for Watson in the window and were left waiting because they could not find a replacement.

“Now the Brighton transfer team are plotting a small number in the summer because they think their need drops compared to the frantic January market. And Watson may not even get a game for the Black Cats in the run in because of new arrivals, making their case for more cash harder to make.”

What has Kristjaan Speakman said about Tommy Watson recently?

Sunderland’s sporting director said that the two clubs never came to agreement on a fee despite some reports on deadline day that this was the case.

He added that Watson, while open to the possibility of the move, was content with Sunderland’s stance. The pair spoke on Thursday morning and the 18-year-old stressed his commitment to trying to help the Black Cats win promotion in the closing months of the season. Watson is expected to return to training in around a week after a knee and foot injury.

While an agreement on a new deal is at this stage considered unlikely, it hasn’t been ruled out. Brighton could revisit the move in the summer transfer window but Speakman says the ongoing speculation is ‘absolutely not a problem’ for the youngster. The pair spoke on Thursday morning and Speakman is confident he is ready for the challenge ahead on Wearside.

“I think it would be really unfair to suggest that the player wanted to leave,” Speakman said. “Tommy is like a number of young players that we’ve got, where they’re on the up, they’re highly-rated and ambitious, which we want them to be, and then they get presented with an opportunity.

“Ultimately, Tommy didn’t have a decision to make because there wasn’t an agreement between the clubs. If the clubs had agreed, he would have had a decision to make, and you could understand why he would choose to stay, but you could also understand why he might decide to leave. That would be based on his views. But we never got to that point, so it was never really an issue.

“I think Tommy is such a level-headed kid that it’s absolutely not a problem. He’s Sunderland through and through, but he’s also ambitious and wants to get promoted and play in the Premier League with Sunderland. I’ve spoken to him this morning and he’s the usual Tommy Watson – he wants to get back fit and wants to get back to the Stadium of Light, scoring goals.

“I’ve got no reservations on Tommy’s focus on Sunderland at all. Part of that is down to the character of the kid, and how he’s been brought up. Maybe if you had a different player, with a different personality profile, it would be different. But you’ve got to remember that players like Tommy have been here for longer than I’ve been here. They’re extremely well connected to what’s going on.”

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