Chris Wright
Just keeping you up to date after a wee bit of to-ing and fro-ing in the Premier League this afternoon…
Firstly, Sunderland are close to completing the £6 million signing of Schalke’s German international defender Heiko Westermann.
Chairman Niall Quinn has flown out to Germany to wrap up the deal for the 26-year-old, who missed making his country’s World Cup squad due to injury, with the move set to be confirmed by the weekend.
One signing that The Black Cats have had rubber-stamped is that of 22-year-old ‘keeper Simon Mignolet from Belgian side Sint Truidense on a five-year deal for an undisclosed fee.
The Belgian U21 stopper saw his stock rise last season after helping newly-promoted Truidense (his home-town club) secure a fifth-place finish in the Jupiler League – attracting interest from Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven in the process.
Sunderland manager Steve Bruce told the club’s official website;
“Simon is an excellent young goalkeeper and he has a lot more to offer. I’m sure he will push our current goalkeepers all the way next season.”
I’m sorry that couldn’t be more exciting.