Sunderland chief reveals Tommy Watson plan after £2m deadline day Brighton transfer bids
The Sunderland man was the subject of transfer interest from Brighton on deadline day
Sunderland under-21 boss Graeme Murty has challenged Tommy Watson to become the outstanding player in the Premier League 2.
The flying winger caught the eye of Sunderland fans once again this week after scoring a stunning solo effort against Liverpool during an under-21 game at Eppleton on Monday evening.
Watson made his professional debut with Sunderland when he came on as a late substitute in the 1-1 draw against Huddersfield Town in April 2023 and played again last season against Sheffield Wednesday towards the back end of the Championship campaign.
The 18-year-old, who has been playing as a number ten for the under-21s recently, was the subject of bids thought to be in the region of around £2million from Brighton on deadline day, which were rejected by Sunderland. Murty, however, wants the player to continue his “upward trajectory” with the Black Cats this season.
“Tommy's a threat, “Murty told The Echo after the Liverpool game. “Tommy possesses some really, really good attributes. So he's dynamic, he's quick, he's a threat both in assisting areas and scoring goals. So we need to make sure that we continue his upward trajectory.
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“We need to support his learning. And although there are things that he does really, really, really well, Tommy works really diligently on improving and getting better every day. As long as we can harness that diligence and make sure that we get him to understand that there are still things to come from him and still development to be made, I can just see him making sure that he's an outstanding player in the Premier League 2 this year.”