Sunderland set for Tommy Watson transfer dilemma after bombshell Brighton bid
Sunderland are set to face a dilemma in the summer transfer window as Brighton prepare a bid for Tommy Watson.
The 18-year-old was subject to interest from the Premier League side during the winter transfer window and Brighton made a £13million bid.
However, the Black Cats turned down this offer as the Seagulls were not able to form a deal which would’ve seen Simon Adingra go the other way.
Brighton set to offer less for Tommy Watson
After seeing their approaches for Watson rejected in the winter transfer window, it’s not too surprising that Brighton are keen to come back again.
However, Sunderland are unlikely to be happy with the approach as Sun journalist Alan Nixon has reported via his Patreon (16 February) that the Premier League outfit are set to offer less money than they did in the latest window.
According to Nixon, this is due to the fact that Brighton’s need drops in the summer transfer window given they will have the opportunity to find another winger, should a deal fail to happen, unlike what happened in the winter window.
In addition to this, with competition and quality high throughout the Black Cats squad this season, he is not currently finding himself getting game time at the Stadium of Light, with Watson having recently returned from injury.
Therefore, this means the Championship side will have less of a case to be able to ramp up the amount they expect to receive for his services.
Sunderland should not let Brighton take advantage
You can understand why Brighton may be keen to test their luck with the Watson transfer in the summer window given they will have felt a bit miffed about missing out on the transfer with no time to explore other options.
However, Sunderland know they have a young talent on their hands and with that in mind, they should not be prepared to let him go for any less than they need to.
Watson is under contract in the North East until 2026 so there is no immediate pressure to sanction an exit if they want to make a fee from the winger.
Nixon also reports that Brighton are set to sell left wing-back Valtentin Barco in the window which means they will have the money to spend if they can offload him for the right price.
The 18-year-old has two goals in 10 Championship appearances this term and surely has the ability to contribute more when given the chance at Sunderland.
With the Black Cats looking towards Premier League promotion this term, if they are a top-flight side they won’t be keen to sell their talent to a league rival, especially for less than Watson is worth.