League One Sunderland have lost Williams Kokolo to north east rivals Middlesbrough – the Championship outfit have now announced his arrival.
Williams Kokolo has completed a shock move from Sunderland to north east neighbours Middlesbrough with his transfer confirmed on Boro’s official website.
While the Black Cats have put plenty of focus on adding quality and quantity to an academy that has been somewhat overlooked in recent years, landing a whole host of talented youngsters on trial in recent weeks, it seems that a promising Frenchman has slipped through the net.
19-year-old Kokolo was due to become a free agent in the summer and, despite the fact that the transfer window is not set to open for another few months, the former Monaco man has already announced his departure from the Stadium of Light.
Just to add insult to injury, bitter rivals Middlesbrough have now announced the signing of a former Sunderland starlet.
The versatile Kokolo has put pen to paper on a two-year deal at the Riverside after catching the eye during a recent loan spell at Darlington, posing with Boro’s Academy chief Craig Liddle on Wednesday morning.
Only time will tell whether Sunderland will regret failing to tie Kokolo down to fresh terms at the Stadium of Light. The 2017 signing failed to make a single first-team appearance in red-and-white but the Wearsiders are hardly overloaded with options at left-back.
21-year-old Denver Hume has been forced to play 37 games this season while forgotten man Declan John is set to return to Swansea at the end of the campaign.
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