Tommy Watson transfer update emerges after Sunderland play-off hero’s £10m Brighton struggle
Tommy Watson is reportedly attracting Championship loan interest after a difficult first season at Brighton
Sky Sports has provided an update on the future of former Sunderland winger Tommy Watson, with the Brighton youngster reportedly available for loan this summer.
Watson left Sunderland for Brighton last summer in a deal worth £10m, shortly after writing himself into Black Cats history with the stoppage-time winner against Sheffield United in the Championship play-off final at Wembley. The Horden-born winger came off the bench to complete Sunderland’s comeback and send Régis Le Bris’ side back to the Premier League for the first time since 2017.
However, Watson has found regular minutes hard to come by since making the move to the Amex. He scored on his Brighton debut in a 6-0 EFL Cup win over Oxford United, but later joined Millwall on loan for the final months of the 2025-26 campaign. Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie has now claimed that Watson is expected to be available on loan again this summer, with several Championship clubs showing interest in the 20-year-old.
Downie posted: “Brighton winger Tommy Watson is available on-loan this summer - with multiple Championship clubs showing interest in the player. The 20-year-old signed for the Seagulls for £10m last summer following his winning goal in the Championship play-off final for Sunderland. But Watson has struggled for game time at The AMEX and spent the last few months on-loan at Millwall. He will have his pick of Champ clubs this summer.”
The Echo has launched a new WhatsApp SAFC Channel to bring the latest news, analysis and team & injury updates direct to your phone. Simply click this link to join our SAFC WhatsApp channel.
Watson’s Sunderland exit came after he had progressed through the club’s academy, having first joined the Black Cats at under-nine level. He made his senior debut in April 2023 against Huddersfield Town and later signed a new three-year contract in September 2023 after recovering from a back injury that disrupted the start of his 2023-24 season.
His breakthrough moment arrived in December 2024, when he scored the first league goals of his professional career in a 2-1 Championship win over Stoke City. But his most famous Sunderland contribution came at Wembley, just weeks after his Brighton move had already been announced. Watson officially joined Brighton on June 1, signing a long-term contract at the club until 2029.