Kamlesh Barjati
Banned
- Joined
- 26 May 2011
- Messages
- 1,087
- Reaction score
- 31
Manager Steve Bruce says Sunderland's capture of Connor Wickham proves they are a force to be reckoned with.
The Black Cats pieced together a package which could be worth as much as £12m in order to lure England U21 starlet Wickham away from Ipswich Town.
His signing is seen to be a show of intent from Sunderland, as they look to become an established top-half side in the Barclays Premier League.
Seeing off competition from the likes of Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur to land Wickham suggests they are heading in the right direction.
Bruce certainly believes they are, and is tipping his latest recruit to be a resounding success on Wearside.
He said: "The signing of Connor Wickham is a statement of intent by Sunderland.
"It is a bold signing that shows we are building for the future.
"There were a lot of clubs tracking him, but we were the ones who were prepared to meet Ipswich's valuation.
"It is also a testament to our progress as a club that Connor wanted to come here. I am sure he will be a big hit with the fans."
Bruce has already spent around £20m this summer on Wickham, Craig Gardner, Sebastian Larsson, Keiren Westwood and Ji Dong-Won, but hopes to add further fresh faces to his ranks before the 2011/12 campaign gets underway.
"I'm absolutely delighted that we've been able to get so many players in ahead of returning for pre-season training," he said.
"We've brought in what are five quality new signings and of course also made (Ahmed) Elmohamady's loan a permanent deal - and hopefully there'll be more."
http://www.premierleague.com/page/Headlines/0,,12306~2385662,00.html
The Black Cats pieced together a package which could be worth as much as £12m in order to lure England U21 starlet Wickham away from Ipswich Town.
His signing is seen to be a show of intent from Sunderland, as they look to become an established top-half side in the Barclays Premier League.
Seeing off competition from the likes of Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur to land Wickham suggests they are heading in the right direction.
Bruce certainly believes they are, and is tipping his latest recruit to be a resounding success on Wearside.
He said: "The signing of Connor Wickham is a statement of intent by Sunderland.
"It is a bold signing that shows we are building for the future.
"There were a lot of clubs tracking him, but we were the ones who were prepared to meet Ipswich's valuation.
"It is also a testament to our progress as a club that Connor wanted to come here. I am sure he will be a big hit with the fans."
Bruce has already spent around £20m this summer on Wickham, Craig Gardner, Sebastian Larsson, Keiren Westwood and Ji Dong-Won, but hopes to add further fresh faces to his ranks before the 2011/12 campaign gets underway.
"I'm absolutely delighted that we've been able to get so many players in ahead of returning for pre-season training," he said.
"We've brought in what are five quality new signings and of course also made (Ahmed) Elmohamady's loan a permanent deal - and hopefully there'll be more."
http://www.premierleague.com/page/Headlines/0,,12306~2385662,00.html
