Sunderland U21s assistant boss John Hewitson has said the club are in talks with free agents Silko Thomas and Bobby Bjork but both players have interest from elsewhere too.
Sunderland’s academy has produced some great players over the years, be it youngsters who have come all the way through the ranks on Wearside or talents who have ended up with the Black Cats after previous stints in other academies.
Plenty of top young players are let go by clubs every summer, allowing for opportunistic sides like Sunderland to snap up them.
Two players who have been given opportunities to impress in the north east are free agents Silko Thomas and Bobby Bjork, who are on the lookout for new clubs after leaving Chelsea and Blackpool respectively.
Now, U21s assistant coach Hewitson has issued an update on both players.
As quoted by Chronicle Live, Hewitson confirmed Sunderland are in talks with Thomas and Bjork but neither player is currently on Wearside. There is interest from other clubs too. He said:
“I think at the moment the club is still in negotiations with agents.
“I know the boys are talented, our recruitment staff have brought them in, but there’s other clubs as well. We’re just trying to see where the land lies, if our offers are suitable for them, and hopefully they are.
“They are not with us at this moment in time, with some of them they have been to other clubs, come to us and then wanted to have a look at other places before making their final decision.”
Ones to watch?
Sunderland’s talent identification has been fantastic, especially in recent years. The hope would be that Thomas and Bjork could kick on and eventually break into first-team football under their watch if they join, but time will tell if the Black Cats can get a deal done.
If you’re a young player appearing on the radar at the Stadium of Light though, you’re definitely on the right track. Moving to Wearside will only aid their development further too.
Thomas, 19, was a regular for Chelsea at youth level, catching the eye with the U18s especially. He played regularly in the PL2 but struggled to make a telling impact. 18-year-old Bjork found action in the FA Youth Cup with Blackpool’s youngsters.
