Sunderland Echo writer Phil Smith has revealed he is unconvinced by transfer reports linking Jay Spearing with a summer move to the club.
Black Cats boss Phil Parkinson will have a tough summer ahead as he looks to build a side capable of bouncing back after a second successive failure to gain promotion from League One to the Championship.
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Finishing eighth in the League One table, Parkinson will be under heavy pressure to deliver the goods next term and the Wearsiders have been linked with 31-year-old midfielder Spearing, who is now a free agent.
The Sun (5 July, page 61) claimed that Parkinson is keen to link up with Spearing after previously coaching him during their time at Bolton but Smith has poured cold water on the rumour with his latest comments.
Smith, who was answering questions from fans in a weekly Q&A over on Sunderland Echo, added his thoughts on the link to Spearing, saying: “My conversations have left me with the impression that there isn’t much in that.
“We’ll see, but I don’t think central midfield is a priority at this stage. Parkinson already has four, two of which were very clearly his first-choice pairing for the system he wants to play.
“I’d also imagine he’ll be keen to get a lot more football out of Josh Scowen next season, too.
“I completely understood the reaction to the Spearing rumours from concerned supporters, and that is absolutely no slight on Spearing.
“If Sunderland are to get another midfielder, though, my view would be that it needs to be of a different profile to what they already have.
“Someone with a track record of getting assists, who can carry the ball and even get past the front three into the box.
“I had a question this morning about Scott Fraser, who is a free agent after leaving Burton Albion.
Well, just a rumour then. It seems Smith knows very little about the interest in Spearing, which does calm the link down somewhat.
You can see why they would like the look of Spearing. As mentioned he is a free agent which will appeal to them at this time of economic uncertainty, whilst he is also a player with a plethora of experience – he is even a League Cup winner from his time at Liverpool.
It seems though that Sunderland may be looking elsewhere.
Do you think Spearing will arrive or do Smith’s comments rule out a move? Let us know in the comments section below…
