Sunderland manager’s message for Kimpioka amid unresolved future

Phil Park in son has urged Benji Kimpioka not to waste a season of his career as his contract impasse with Sunderland continues.

The Swedish forward is currently out of contract, with the Black Cats offering him a new deal earlier in the summer.

Kimpioka is yet to make a final decision, and spoke in the Swedish press about the matter earlier this week.

The 20-year-old said he remainedopentostayingonSunderland, but added that he had other options and hinted that he wanted the Black Cats to match what was on offer elsewhere.

Previously, his agent has said that assurances over regular first-team football was key if he was to consider staying.

Parkinson says he has had extensive dialogue with both over the summer, and warned that he was currently allowing other youngsters at the club to push ahead in the pecking order.

“I spent a lot of time speaking to him, his agent and his brother on zoom calls over the summer,” Parkinson said.

“I explained the situation to him, that he needed to sign his contract, come back and start pre-season with the first team.

“Then, if he was and in around it, great, if not, we'd line up loan moves for him.

“Unfortunately that, for whatever reason, hasn't happened. Now he's missed three weeks of pre-season.

“I said to him, ‘Benji, I really don't want you to waste a season in your career’.

“At the moment, that hasn't been resolved.

“If it does get resolved, great. If not we've got a lot of good players here and I want to focus on the ones we've got, and the young players who've come back into the group with a great appetite for it.”

Parkinson gave opportunities to a number of youngsters in the 3-1 win over Carlisle United, with Dan Neil again impressing in a substitute appearance.

The Black Cats also confirmed that he will keep Jack Diamond in the first-team group for the season ahead, and has also praised Elliot Embleton for his efforts in preseason so far.

*Doncaster Rovers have decided against handing a deal to Sunderland academy graduate Nathan Thomas.

Thomas was released by Sheffield United in the summer having spent the last 18 months on loan at Carlisle United, and had been on trial at Rovers this summer.

But the Doncaster Free Press now claim that Thomas has left the club without a deal.