Sunderland exit confirmed, Sheffield United eye Sheffield Wednesday favourite, £1.75m bid submitted
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Sunderland have enjoyed a strong January transfer window so far as immediate focus turns to Friday’s Championship clash against Burnley. Victory for the Black Cats would send them back into the automatic promotion places, at least for the night before Sheffield United host Norwich City on Saturday.
Travelling fans will hope to get a first proper look at on-loan midfielder Enzo Le Fee at Turf Moor and Sunderland hope he is not the only player to come through the door this month. They and many other Championship rivals have been busy in recent days and the Sunderland Echo has rounded up some of the latest stories from across the division.
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Hide AdConnolly exit
Aaron Connolly has swapped Sunderland for Millwall after mutually agreeing to call time on his brief spell at the Stadium of Light. The Irishman has been unable to cement a place in Le Bris’ first-team plans since putting pen to paper on a short-term deal in September, with 10 league appearances totalling 246 minutes and yielding just one goal.
Upon confirming the news, Sporting Director Kristjaan Speakman insisted he did not want to stand in the way of Connolly getting regular football elsewhere. The 24-year-old thanked Sunderland and its supporters for taking a chance on him when few others would have.
The former Brighton forward spoke candidly about his alcohol addiction and time in rehab over the summer, before he was signed by the Black Cats. He could make a debut for Millwall against Hull City this weekend.
Charles latest
Sheffield United are reportedly eyeing a sensational swoop for Southampton’s Shea Charles, who was only recalled from his loan spell at Sheffield Wednesday overnight. Owls owner Dejphon Chansiri confirmed the midfielder’s return to St Mary’s during an explosive fans forum, although a seven-day notice period means he can play for Wednesday against Leeds United and Bristol City.
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Hide AdReports from the south coast suggest Wednesday could re-sign Charles if they are willing to pay an ‘additional loan fee’ but the Star has now reported on interest from Bramall Lane. They claim the Northern Ireland international is on a ‘long list’ of possible targets, with Chris Wilder keen to get midfield reinforcements through the door.
Southampton may want to keep Charles on board as they look to climb away from the bottom of the Premier League. But any indication they are willing to loan him back out could lead to a battle between South Yorkshire rivals.
Thomas-Asante race
Blackburn Rovers and Stoke City look set to battle it out for Coventry City striker Brandon Thomas-Asante. Sky Sports reported on Wednesday that Blackburn had submitted a £1.75million bid for the 26-year-old, albeit head coach John Eustace recently told the Lancashire Telegraph he was ‘unaware’ of anything imminent in their search for a No.9.
Stoke lost star-striker Tom Cannon on Wednesday as he was recalled by parent club Leicester City, with journalist Pete O’Rourke then claiming the Potters had joined the race for Thomas-Asante. The forward has 25 Championship appearances under his belt at Coventry this season but only eight have been from the start.