Sunderland are looking to strike deals – both in and out – in the final month of the transfer window.
Sunderland boss Simon Grayson has told the Shields Gazette that winger Jeremain Lens is closing in on a move to Turkish side Besiktas.
The Black Cats needed to re-shape their squad having suffered relegation from the Premier League, and the likes of Jordan Pickford, Vito Mannone, Jan Kirchhoff, Sebastian Larsson, Fabio Borini, Victor Anichebe and Jermain Defoe leave the club.
New manager Grayson has been busy bringing players in since replacing David Moyes in June, with Jason Steele, Robbin Ruiter, Tyias Browning, Brendan Galloway, Aiden McGeady, James Vaughan and Lewis Grabban all arriving.
There is still plenty of work to be done though, and Grayson has now suggested to the Shields Gazette that Dutch winger Jeremain Lens is close to leaving the Stadium of Light in order to join Besiktas in Turkey.
“He (Lens) is injured at this moment in time as he has been for the last 10 days,” said Grayson. “I’m led to believe there’s talks going on still with Besiktas and something could happen very soon and if it is he’ll move on. He’s part of a group who showed a desire to leave after the club was relegated. Whoever wants to be here we’ll keep, whoever doesn’t I will drive them away myself and we’ll move on with new ones,” he added.
Lens, 29, spent last season on loan at Fenerbahce but returns as a high earner and a valuable asset, with his move to Besiktas almost certainly set to hand Grayson some more money to work with in the transfer market.
So far, Grayson has been limited to free transfers, loans or cut-price deals, and he may well need the funds from any Lens deal in order to secure the signature of Preston striker Jordan Hugill.
Grayson worked with Hugill at Preston, and oversaw his 13-goal campaign last season, and The Northern Echo reported just days ago that Grayson wanted a deal for Hugill tied up before the start of the Championship season on Friday.
That doesn’t look like happening, and who can blame Preston for standing firm on last season’s top goalscorer just days before the season kicks off? HITC broke last month that Birmingham City have failed with a £2.5million bid for the former Port Vale target man, with many North End fans believing that the club should hold out for at least double that amount.
Grayson certainly doesn’t have £5million to play with right now, but funds from selling Lens could just help Sunderland bid for Hugill. Without that money, Sunderland surely won’t be able to tempt Preston into selling, and North End could just frustrate their former manager by sticking to their guns, especially given how exorbitant transfer fees in the Championship have been this summer, with no incentive for North End to sell on the cheap to a divisional rival.
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