Ex-Sunderland defender Tom Flanagan signs new Colchester deal after captaining strong League Two season
Ex-Sunderland man Tom Flanagan has signed a new contract with Colchester United after captaining the club through an encouraging League Two campaign last term.
The 33-year-old, who made 91 league appearances for Sunderland between 2018 and 2022, was a key figure for the U’s last season, missing just two league games as Danny Cowley’s side narrowly missed out on the play-offs. Flanagan’s leadership and experience have been rewarded with a fresh deal at the JobServe Community Stadium, and the Northern Ireland international is already looking ahead to a renewed promotion push in 2025–26.
“I went away desperate to come back,” Flanagan said. “Once I’d had my break, I was ready and raring to go. Last season I was fourth or fifth for most appearances and second for minutes in the squad. I feel like I can do it again, and I’m already ahead of where I started last season. If we can replicate what we did last season and add a better start, then I think we’ll be in a great position.”
Colchester boss Danny Cowley added: “It’s something we’ve been working on all summer. He’s a really intelligent defender and takes so much responsibility on the ball. We’re really pleased to have him back.” Flanagan, who also counts Burton Albion and Shrewsbury Town among his former clubs, is expected to play a central role for Colchester again this season as they aim to improve on last term’s tenth-place finish.
Talbi deal close as £19.5million winger undergoes tests
Talbi is expected to become the club’s fifth senior signing of the summer, following the arrivals of Enzo Le Fée, Noah Sadiki, and Habib Diarra. He scored seven goals and registered five assists in 44 appearances last season and is regarded as one of Belgium’s brightest young talents.
Ekwah exit almost done – with Sunderland to receive financial boost
Pierre Ekwah is close to sealing a permanent exit from Sunderland, with Ligue 2 side AS Saint-Étienne in the final stages of making his loan move permanent. As previously reported by The Echo, Sunderland negotiated a seven-figure loan fee last summer, and are now set to receive a further boost from the permanent fee, believed to be in the region of £6million.
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However, a chunk of that will be owed to West Ham United due to a sell-on clause inserted in the original deal. A minor administrative issue is said to be delaying the final announcement, but Ekwah has not returned to Wearside for pre-season and is expected to be unveiled shortly by Saint-Étienne.
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