Alan Nixon claims that shortly after Sunderland’s 17-year-old winger Tom Watson signed a new contract with the team, Nottingham Forest expressed interest in signing him.
The player was valued at £300,000 by the buying club during the summer, but Steve Cooper’s team missed out because the Black Cats locked him into a new contract that would keep him at the Stadium of Light until 2026. The player’s Premier League admirers, however, may still make an attempt to recruit him in January despite the renewed contract.
The left winger, a product of the Black Cats’ junior system, rose through the ranks to establish himself as a fixture in their U-18 and Premier League 2 squads. He has only played once for the senior team, a late cameo in April’s 1-1 draw with Huddersfield Town. His goal-scoring prowess has not gone unnoticed; he has contributed 13 goals in 34 U-18 games so far and was called up to the England U-17 team, where he has made five appearances and scored once. The team led by Tony Mowbray has a proven track record of developing young attacking talent and giving them the time and space to become future stars.
Sunderland defeated Queens Park Rangers 3-1 on Saturday to move up to seventh place in the standings.
Author’s Opinion
Watson is undoubtedly a highly gifted youngster, one that his parent club will be eager to stick onto and continue to develop. They can decide to cash out now and receive a lower payout, or they can take a chance and see what the player’s maximum payout is in the hopes of making more money in the future. They might believe they can get more for him in a few years given that the EFL is once again turning into a hotbed for talent shopping.
