I I IC I lUVV LJU
Rob Mason introduces Sunderland's summer signings.
INCOMING PLAYERS
THE NEW BOYS: WHO'S WHO
EL- HADJI DIOUF
Tho Mow Ra
Roy Keane has always said that when he was
growing up Tottenham Hotspur was his favourite
English team but no one expected the gaffer to
seemingly try to sign Spurs players en masse!
Until the arrival of Marton Fulop last year Sunderland had
never signed a player from Tottenham but the club's audacious
attempt to sign four players from White Hart Lane certainly
caught the football world's imagination. "When we went for four
players from one club I think some people might have thought
it was easier than trying to sign four players from four different
clubs but that's not the case because each deal is separate
and different players and agents all have their own demands"
explains Roy Keane who having tied up the moves of Teemu
Tainio and Pascal Chimbonda then completed a deal for Steed
Malbranque on Wednesday evening, although hopes had ended
about the possibility of completing a Tottenham quartet with
target Younis Kaboul seemingly destined to move elsewhere.
Chairman Niall Quinn and Chief Executive Peter
Walker have been working hard throughout the close
season in acquiring players identified by Roy Keane as
Sunderland look to strengthen the squad in readiness
for a season where the lads are looking to improve on
last year's 15th place in the Barclays Premier League.
The nature of the transfer business is that sometimes media
coverage of a deal can rumble on for ages without the deal
going through or even the reports having much truth in them
as journalists speculate and feed off agent speak while on
other occasions a deal can come out of the blue as far as the
public are concerned with the player being signed barely a day
or two after the media got wind of an impending move as in
the case of El-Hadji Diouf whose move from Bolton last week
went through less than 48 hours after reports surfaced that the
Senegal international could be moving to the Stadium of Light.
The manager had made it clear this summer that he was
looking to bring in players with proven top flight pedigree as
he makes clear in his manager's notes in today's programme
and that is the path Sunderland have taken while also keeping
an eye on the future with the acquisition of teenage midfielder
David Meyler from Cork mirroring last season's signing of
young defender Jean-Yves M'voto from Paris St. Germain, a
player who is now being carefully nurtured in the reserves.
With the transfer window so far open at the moment the
curtains are billowing in the wind there's every chance there
will be more movement in the days to come. As always your
match programme will bring you the big interviews with
the new signings. Look out in the Liverpool programme for
the first of Red and White's in depth exclusive interviews.
When El-Hadji Diouf waved his goodbyes to
the Bolton crowd at the Reebok Stadium after
Sunderland's visit there in May no-one had any idea
that the two time winner of the African Player of the
Year award's next club would be Sunderland.
"El-Hadji is a great signing for us and we're thrilled to get
him in" said a delighted Roy Keane who reminded everyone
of a connection that has served Sunderland well in the
past...Ricky Sbragia. "Our coach Ricky Sbragia has worked
very closely with him at Bolton and speaks extremely highly
of him so we're looking forward to working with El-Hadji.
I think he's a signing that will excite our supporters."
The Senegal international is in his peak years now being
27. A star of the 2002 World Cup, Diouf played for Sochaux,
Rennes and Lens in France before a £10m move to Liverpool
following his showing at the Korea/Japan World Cup. He
made 80 appearances for the Reds who he will hope to
debut against in a fortnight. He has spent the last four years
at Bolton where he topped a century of appearances.
EL-HADJI DIOUF
