SUNDERLAND PLOTS "RIDICULOUS" RICO LEWIS SWOOP TO OUTSHINE NEWCASTLE’S SUMMER
Sunderland targets Man City’s Rico Lewis as Regis Le Bris seeks versatile stars for a 2026 European push.
Sunderland is targeting a player many would call ridiculous ahead of the summer transfer window, with several Premier League clubs in pursuit, including their local rivals Newcastle United.
The Black Cats have exceeded expectations in their return to the Premier League, notably beating Newcastle twice. Their recent 2-1 win at St. James' Park, secured by Brian Brobbey’s late goal, has them eyeing a surprising push for a European spot, sitting just three points behind seventh-place Brentford.
After earning promotion by defeating Sheffield United in the play-off final, Sunderland invested heavily in the summer transfer window. However, some players who were crucial in the Championship have since lost their starting roles.
Still, Trai Hume has remained a key figure under Regis Le Bris. The manager recently praised Hume’s adaptability, highlighting his ability to fill various positions: “He has strong versatility. Left-back, right-back, right-winger, midfielder, probably centre-back. I’m not sure about the back four, since I haven’t tried that, but in a back three, definitely. We need players like him.”
Hume has indeed been used in different roles this season, even captaining the team five times. Sunderland is now looking to sign a player from the same agent, reportedly setting their sights on Rico Lewis.
According to TEAMtalk, Sunderland is planning a significant move for Lewis, with Manchester City open to letting the right-back leave this summer, provided he wants to move on.
Newcastle, Fulham, Everton, Crystal Palace, Brighton, and Brentford are also interested, making the race for Lewis’s signature increasingly competitive.
Lewis, mainly a right-back, has seen his playing time limited at Man City this season, featuring for only 312 minutes in ten Premier League appearances. This lack of minutes is a concern for the 21-year-old.
Despite limited game time, Lewis has shown promise when called upon. He earned praise from Statman Dave after playing a key role in Man City’s 5-0 FA Cup win against Huddersfield Town.
By now, Lewis is fairly experienced for his age, having made 115 senior appearances since breaking into the first team in 2022-23. During that time, he’s contributed seven goals and 12 assists.
At this stage, if Lewis doesn’t get regular minutes, his development could stall. A move to Sunderland could provide the playing time he needs while fitting well with the club’s ambitions.
ALAN SHEARER WARNS DE ZERBI'S "FIVE-YEAR" DEAL CONTAINS HIDDEN EXIT CLAUSES
Alan Shearer reacts to Roberto De Zerbi joining Tottenham on a five-year deal amidst a relegation battle.
Alan Shearer thinks Tottenham hiring Roberto De Zerbi is a risky move, but he believes it’ll keep them in the Premier League.
Spurs have handed De Zerbi, an Italian coach, a massive five-year contract. The idea is not just to rescue them from the threat of relegation but also to set things up for the future. In his first interview with the club, De Zerbi made it clear he’ll still be in charge next season, no matter how the last seven games go.
He’s the fourth manager Spurs have had in nine months, which kind of says it all. Shearer pointed out that after so many missteps, De Zerbi really held the cards in negotiations. “Honestly, Roberto De Zerbi could’ve written his own contract. He probably did. The five-year deal? Don’t read too much into it. Who knows what clauses are in there? If things go sideways and he gets sacked, he might only get a year’s pay, if he’s lucky.
It’s still a gamble for De Zerbi. He doesn’t want to manage in the Championship, and there’s a real chance he ends up there. He’s betting on himself to turn things around in these last seven games. Shearer says De Zerbi knows the league and has a clear style of play, but whether he can get his ideas across in such a short time is still up in the air.
People keep saying Spurs are too good to go down, but Shearer’s not convinced. Skill only gets you so far; it’s all about mindset. Up till now, Spurs haven’t handled that part well. The real question is whether De Zerbi can inject some belief into the squad before the season ends. Confidence matters most, and the players have to believe he can get something out of them.
De Zerbi’s first test is a tough one: Sunderland away. Everyone’s watching that.
Spurs might even drop into the relegation zone by the time they play Sunderland if West Ham beats Wolves two days earlier. Shearer reckons De Zerbi will “just about” keep Tottenham up, and he compares the challenge to his own when he managed Newcastle, though he ended up relegated.
Shearer isn’t glossing over the risk. “Look, whoever they hired, it was going to be a gamble. But they’ve shown their hand five-year deal, good or bad, he’s their guy. It’s definitely a huge risk, but anyone would’ve been, given where Spurs are right now.”
He notes De Zerbi tends to do things his own way, and he rarely stays at clubs for very long. So the five-year contract? Not really that meaningful. The only thing that matters for Spurs is staying in the Premier League, then regrouping next season. Shearer thinks De Zerbi will just about manage it.
When Shearer managed Newcastle, he was in a similar spot bottom of the table, the fourth manager in a single season. He remembers how tough it was. “You don’t get the job because everything’s running smoothly. You walk in because the club’s in trouble. You’re basically hired because the club’s in s**t.”
JORGEN STRAND LARSEN REVEALS "HOPELESS" MENTAL STRUGGLE AFTER FAILED NEWCASTLE TRANSFER
Crystal Palace star Jorgen Strand Larsen opens up on the Newcastle transfer saga that left him "struggling."
Crystal Palace striker Jorgen Strand Larsen says he went through a rough patch after his move to Newcastle United fell through. Newcastle had tried to sign him last year when they were rebuilding their attack, right after Alexander Isak left for Liverpool and Callum Wilson moved on. That left them scrambling for new strikers. Yoane Wissa was a top target early on, but Strand Larsen’s name came up a lot, too.
Back then, he was still at Wolves, and the club refused to let him leave, digging in their heels. So Newcastle looked elsewhere, eventually bringing in Nick Woltemade from Stuttgart. Wissa and Woltemade both ended up at St James’ Park, and together their transfers cost Newcastle a hefty £125 million.
Strand Larsen did get his move eventually, just not to Newcastle. Palace snapped him up in January for what could end up being a whopping £48 million, a club record.
His time at Wolves wasn’t the easiest. He had just one Premier League goal from 22 games, but with Palace, he's already notched three. Now, at 26, he's speaking out about the stress and uncertainty he dealt with last summer during all the transfer talk, and how hard it hit him.
“These last six months have been completely hopeless,” he told Norwegian paper VG. “It’s been tough mentally and physically. All around, really."
He didn’t want things to end badly at Wolves, a club he says he really cares about. He hoped the situation there would turn around, but in the end, he felt it was time to move forward.
“When you haven’t won in half a season, the outside pressure builds up, and we put pressure on ourselves, too. We have high expectations; everyone wants to be the main man. I wanted that, but couldn’t quite get it. It was difficult, but that’s behind me now.
“Palace fits me. The way we play, it just works for me. I’ve got teammates who set me up in good spots, and I think this is going to be really good.”
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