Onuoha is set to join MLS side Real Salt Lake, but was linked with Sunderland in the summer.
Nedum Onuoha has told BBC Radio Manchester that Sunderland’s reported interest in his services from the summer was just talk and nothing concrete, as he has reportedly joined MLS side Real Salt Lake.
The 31-year-old centre-back has been on the lookout for a new club after his contract with Championship side QPR expired at the end of last season, despite appearing 31 times for the London-based side last season.
A whole host of Championship and Football League clubs were supposedly interested in the former Manchester City powerhouse, but it seems as though the Nigerian-born defender is off to America, according to BBC Sport.
Onuoha turned out 32 times for Sunderland in the 2010-11 season, and The Mirror (Transfer Live blog, 18:57pm, June 14, 2018) claimed that Sunderland wanted to re-sign him. Three months on, Onuoha commented on Sunderland’s interest.
“The Sunderland one, I never really heard anything about that, apart from people telling me they were interested,” Onuoha said.
“I spoke to a few managers quite locally to here — I wouldn’t want to necessarily say anything, I don’t know if it’s all top secret and what have you, but it was all quite close.”
Sunderland were keen on adding central defenders to their squad this summer, but new manager Jack Ross brought in Jack Baldwin from Peterborough, Alim Ozturk from Boluspor and free agent Glenn Loovens instead.
Onuoha will be joining Real Salt Lake in the midst of an MLS title battle in the Western Conference, as they sit in fourth on 44 points with six games to play. Los Angeles are on 46, Sporting Kansas are on 48 and Dallas are on 49.
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