Championship side Sunderland are eyeing up a double swoop for Silko Thomas and Bobby Bjork after the duo were released from their respective clubs in the summer.
The Black Cats have an esteemed academy, having produced some high-profile players in recent years such as Champions League-winning captain Jordan Henderson and England number ‘1’ Jordan Pickford.
Sunderland are looking to add more exciting youngsters to their ranks, bringing Thomas and Bjork to the Stadium of Light who were released by Chelsea and League One outfit Blackpool in June.
Thomas, a winger, and Bjork, a defender, were trialists with the former Premier League side over the past few weeks and are now close to signing for the club.
This was confirmed by U21s assistant coach John Hewitson in an interview with Chronicle Live, although Hewitson admitted that other clubs are vying for the pair’s signature too [quotes via the72]:
“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.”
Writer’s View
Should Thomas and Bjork sign for Sunderland, they will play with Hewitson’s U21s, headed by former Rangers manager Graeme Murty.
The hope will be that both develop further and eventually become ready to step into the first-team. Of course, this solely depends on whether or not Sunderland can strike a deal with the players and their representatives.
Nonetheless, there are very few clubs in the English football pyramid with a better track record of having talent progress through the ranks than Sunderland.
Lynden Gooch, Dan Neil, Anthony Patterson and Elliot Embleton are just a few examples of players who are in Sunderland’s squad right now that came through the club’s acclaimed academy.
Perhaps Thomas and Bjork can join this list over the coming seasons.
