Former Black Cat star was 'close' to leaving club during January
Joel Asoro has admitted he was ‘close’ to leaving Swedish club Djurgardens IF during the January window.
The striker, who is under contract until the 2024 season, explained that there was interest in him during the winter window from abroad.
“It was quite close to actually being a move. It was a bit 50-50,” Asoro told Sportbladet. “Maybe 60 per cent that I would stay. But it feels good that it turned out the way
"Almost like that. There was a bit of planning, but in the end, it was the best thing for me to stay. You don't have much control, but you just have to accept it. You can't do much, what happens, happens.”
Asoro departed Sunderland in the summer after the club’s relegation from the Championship, moving to Swansea City for a £2million fee before bagging a permanent move to Djurgårdens IF Fotboll in Sweden back in 2021.
The former Sunderland academy graduate was linked with a move to France to join up with Bordeaux in Ligue 2, where his former Black Cats teammate Josh Maja is currently playing, and was also the subject of transfer interest from Turkey.
Asoro has netted 16 goals and contributed 10 assists in his time with Djurgardens, including seven goals in this season's Europa Conference League campaign. The
23-year-old also recently netted his first goal for Sweden on his very first international appearance against Finland.
Meanwhile, Andras Nemeth has admitted that interest from Sunderland was ‘very concrete’ and has revealed his reasons for moving to Hamburg.
The Black Cats were interested in a deal for the striker during the January transfer
window, but the club couldn’t get a deal over the line. Sunderland signed Joe Gelhardt, but have been left with just one striker after the injury to Ross Stewart.
“It was very concrete with Sunderland,” Nemeth admits. “But I made the decision to come to Hamburg, because I think the project here is better for me and my development.”
Finally, Cardiff City are eyeing a move for a former Sunderland forward.
WalesOnline state Cardiff City are deciding whether to offer free agent striker Connor Wickham a contract with the club after the 29-year-old left League One side Forest Green Rovers last month.
Wickham has been training with the Wales club and underwent rehabilitation with the Cardiff physios for a minor injury.
Wickham enjoyed a fourcampaign stint at the Stadium of Light following an £8m move from Ipswich Town back in 2011.
The fee broke Ipswich Town's record for transfer fees recouped and broke the transfer record for a Football League player moving to a Premier League club at the time. The deal was seen as a coup for the North East club to sign Wickham at the time, having beaten off interest from Liverpool to capture his signature.
The former England youth international found the net just 15 times in 91 appearances on Wearside before sealing a move to Palace on a five-year deal for an undisclosed fee in 2015.