Sunderland AFC transfer news RECAP: Cats miss out on striker deal as Bailey Wright joins Rotherham on loan

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of transfer deadline day.

It looks set to be a busy day for Sunderland, with the club targeting more signings before tonight’s 11pm deadline.

We’ll bring you the latest Black Cats news, analysis and more throughout the day.

Stick around and refresh the page for live updates.

So here’s where we stand at the start of the day.

While Sunderland were only aiming to make a few signings to improve their squad this month, significant injuries to captain Corry Evans and top scorer Ross Stewart have forced them to reassess their plans.

We are expecting the Black Cats to complete the signing of Everton defender Joe Anderson today, after the 21-year-old posted a goodbye message to Toffees supporters on social media last night.

At the other end of the pitch Sunderland hope they can sign at least one more striker before tonight’s deadline, with the club still tracking Ellis Simms’ situation at Everton. Ultimately, though, a decision over a potential return to Wearside lies with the Premier League club.

Evans’ injury has also forced the Black Cats to look at alternatives in the holding midfield position.

Here’s what Mowbray said about transfers and Simms’ situation after the weekend’s FA Cup match at Fulham:

On transfers: “As you know, I’m a head coach not a manager and so I don’t know the finances etc. What I know is that we need some support, the young team does. Hopefully there’s some business to do in the next few days, though I’d add as well that it’s fantastic that young Joe Gelhardt has come in, and Pierre Ekwah looked a real talent when he came on at the end there.

“I just feel like we need some bodies because you can see that our bench at the end there, we had a 15-year-old on the pitch and the three lads who didn’t get on aren’t that much older.

“We are really short on numbers and we’ve picked up injuries, with eighteen league games to go we need a bit of help.”

On Ellis Simms: “I honestly don’t know, I’m the coach of the team and there are people around me who do that.

“If Ellis Simms came back he would be huge for this football club, because he’ll give us a focal point at the top end of the pitch. He scored some massively important goals for us before he was called.”

Sunderland have also allowed players such as Jay Matete and Leon Dajaku to leave on loan and gain more first-team experience this month.

There has also been interest in defender Bailey Wright, with Mowbray hinting he wouldn’t stand in the player’s way if he wanted a move.

Still, it’s looking likely Wright will stay on Wearside and fight for his place, despite making just six Championship starts this season.

There could be some loan departures before today’s deadline, with under-21s players such as Max Thompson, Michael Spellman and Ethan Kachosa attracting interest.

Sunderland captain Corry Evans is set to be handed a new deal at the Stadium of Light – according to reports.

It was confirmed that the midfielder had suffered an ACL injury in the 2-0 defeat to Middlesbrough last Sunday, bringing an early end to his season. On deadline day, however, Alan Nixon has stated that Evans is set to be handed a new deal with his present contract set to expire in the summer.

Tony Mowbray hinted last week that he expects Sunderland to activate the extension clause in Evans’ contract or reach a similar alternative.

Mowbray, who admitted he had taken injury the news ‘really badly’ and explained that everyone at the club was fully aware of the role Evans had played in lifting the club firstly out of League One and then into the upper reaches of the Championship.

“I think at this moment everything is pretty raw,” Mowbray said. “What I do know is that there will be conversations over the next few days. You can understand that it is a difficult situation for everybody, and there’s a lot to take in.

“Corry’s advisors and the club will sit down and discuss it, and I would say that we’re all very mindful of what Corry has given to this club. I wasn’t here but when he arrived I’m sure there were some difficult and some tough days.

He is a proper football man and I know that he will have steadied that dressing room, given it some structure and set some standards and values. “I’m pretty sure this club will do the correct thing by Corry Evans.”

“Corry is just a really professional footballer, understands his job, does his work every day, sets the standards in the dressing room,” Mowbray added on Evans as a person.

“He will maintain that, he is still going to be around the place even though he will be in the treatment room for a while.

“He’ll continue to set the standard for the younger players at this football club. I’ve got no fears. He will be back stronger and helping us in the future.”

Preston North End are in “advanced talks” to sign recently released Fulham man Josh Onomah - according to reports

Football Insider have stated that Preston North End are in advanced talks to sign midfielder Josh Onomah on a free transfer after his Fulham exit yesterday afternoon.

The 25-year-olf is now a free agent after mutually agreeing to cancel his contract at Craven Cottage on Monday, alerting a host of Championship clubs including Preston.

The former Tottenham man was entering the last six months of his contract at Craven Cottage before both player and club agreed to cancel the deal early.

Deadline day looks set to be a busy one for clubs up and down the EFL but Onomah could sign for Preston after the window closes given his free agent status.

Sunderland are thought to have signed Joe Anderson from Everton, with the central defender penning a goodbye message on social media last night. The Black Cats are also still interested in bringing Ellis Simms back to the Stadium of Light.

Lee Johnson’s Hibernian have rejected a double bid for Kevin Nisbett and Josh Campbell – according to reports on deadline day morning.

Championship strugglers Wigan Athletic are said to be interested in both players after the club’s sacking of manager Kolo Toure. The Latics also missed out on ex-academy attacker Joe Gelhardt, with the Leeds United forward opting to join Sunderland instead.

Shaun Maloney is leading Wigan Atgletic’s attempt to avoid relegation back to League One following the sacking of one-time Celtic defender Toure after he failed to win any of his nine games in charge.

The Scottish Sun have stated that Wigan Athletic’s offer for the pair the offer falls well below the valuation the Hibees have put on the pair.

Ex-Sunderland manager and current Hibs gaffer Lee Johnson is said to be braced for a second deadline day swoop as the Latics weigh up their next move. Nisbet, who was linked with the Black Cats at one point recently turned down a move to Millwall just last weeks after the clubs agreed a reported £2.4million deal.

Speaking about Nisbet at the weekend, Johnson said: “When Kevin gets the bit between his teeth in anything, he’s got that ability and self-belief to be able to focus intently on what he wants.

“He rang me up on Friday and said, ‘I’m coming back and I want to start’ but I told him we’d been working without him all week, he hadn’t kicked a ball, but I’d get him on, and obviously we have another game on Tuesday.”

On his immediate future, he added: “I believe he’ll be here beyond Tuesday. There’s nothing else bubbling away as far as I’m aware and I think he’ll be here at least until the summer.

“He hasn’t spoken to me a lot, because we’ve been raptly focused on the Aberdeen game. He was even late for the match because of the traffic from Glasgow but I spoke to him very briefly to say, ‘welcome back, I’m personally delighted you haven’t gone,’ and to articulate why he was going to come on from the bench and not start.”

Sunderland defender Bailey Wright has been linked with a move to Rotherham United, as per Sunderland Nation.

Wright has also been linked with Hibs, Aberdeen and Portsmouth during the window with Joe Anderson expected to arrive today from Everton.