'Barely a topic of conversation' - Club chief claims late Sunderland transfer deal came out of nowhere
Sunderland completed a double transfer for Brian Brobbey and Bertrand Traore on deadline day
Ajax technical director Alex Kroes has opened up on the process that saw the Dutch giants strike a double deal with Sunderland for Brian Brobbey and Bertrand Traore in the latter stages of the transfer window, admitting that negotiations with the Black Cats came as something of a surprise.
Regis Le Bris’ side rounded off a hectic summer of business with three signings on Monday, bringing in Brobbey and Traore on permanent deals, as well as wrapping up an initial loan agreement with an option-to-buy clause attached for RB Leipzig defender Lutsharel Geertruida.
The arrivals of Brobbey and Traore came as Sunderland bid late farewells to Marc Guiu, who was recalled from his brief loan stint by parent club Chelsea, and Patrick Roberts, who left to join Birmingham City on a temporary basis, and Kroes has suggested that he was shocked somewhat by the rapidity with which the Black Cats moved to acquire their targets.
What has Ajax chief Alex Kroes said about transfer dealings with Sunderland?
Speaking to Ajax’s in-house media team, as quoted by ESPN, he said: “The objective has been achieved. I woke up Monday morning with an offer from Sunderland in my inbox. Until then, Sunderland had barely been a topic of conversation.
“We had things better organized at all levels of the club this transfer window. Every player we signed was thoroughly scouted. There’s a plan behind that for the future that was discussed with the staff.”
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What has Sunderland sporting director said about the double signing of Brian Brobbey and Bertrand Traore?
From a Sunderland perspective, sporting director Kristjaan Speakman has explained the club’s decision to bring in Brobbey and Traore. Addressing the arrival of the former, he said: “Brian is a player that we have been tracking throughout the summer, and he’s a really interesting player for us to acquire, as he’s a different profile to the other forwards we have in the squad. The timing of this opportunity was perfect, and he matched our ambition to find a forward capable of significantly enhancing the team. We are delighted to have him at Sunderland, and look forward to watching him take this next step with us in the Premier League.”
On Traore, he added: “As a left-footed player who operates on the right, Bertrand is a different type of player to those we already had in our group. He enjoys eliminating opponents one-on-one, and he can also play in multiple positions, with this added versatility providing us with additional options from game to game and in-game. He featured regularly for Ajax last season, and he’s excited to be back in the Premier League, and we are excited to have him in our squad.”
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