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The young winger has addressed Sunderland fans after his move to Brighton was confirmed
Tommy Watson has sent an emotional message to Sunderland fans after his transfer to Brighton was confirmed.
Sunderland have agreed a deal to sell Tommy Watson to Brighton & Hove Albion. The deal will conclude when the transfer window opens on July 1st and brings an end to a long-running transfer saga, with the Premier League club attempting to sign the 18-year-old on the last two transfer windows.
Watson will remain available for selection between now and the end of the season before the deal goes through in the summer. The winger had 18 months left on his current professional contract and with an extension deemed highly unlikely, the Black Cats have decided to do business now.
The Echo understands that the structured deal could eventually secure the Black Cats in excess of £10 million, while the club have also secured a sell-on clause in the region of 20%.
“From the bottom of my heart, thank you! The support you’ve all shown me as I’ve come through the academy and broken into the first team has been amazing,” Watson said on Instagram after the move was confirmed by both cubs on social media.
He continued: “Although the journeys not over yet, as the news of my move breaks I wanted to come on here and express a massive thank you to everyone along the way. We’ve still got one massive push till the end of the season and goals to achieve.
“I’ll give my all to the team to make sure we do everything we can to reach them. See all of you that are travelling Saturday. 7 huge games to go, to get this club back to where it belongs,” Watson concluded ahead of this weekend’s game against West Brom.
What have Sunderland said about the Tommy Watson to Brighton transfer?
Sporting director Kristjaan Speakman said: “Tommy’s a very talented young player, who’s been subject to multiple offers from Premier League Clubs over the past two windows, and it’s been well-documented that we’ve declined these approaches with the intent of extending his contract. Unfortunately, this has not been possible, and we now believe this agreement represents the best long-term outcome for Sunderland AFC.
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“Tommy first joined our Club at age six and his rise to the first team demonstrates what is possible at the Academy of Light. We are proud of the role we have played in his development and although we will be disappointed to see him depart in June, we know he’s fully committed to helping the team throughout the final stages of the season.”
What have Brighton said about signing Tommy Watson from Sunderland?
“We are pleased to confirm we have reached an agreement to sign Tom Watson from Sunderland, for undisclosed terms. The 18-year-old – who turns 19 next week – has agreed a deal that runs until June 2029, and will officially become an Albion player when the summer transfer window opens.
“Technical director David Weir said: ‘Tommy is an exciting young talent who we have been tracking for a significant period of time. He's had an excellent breakthrough season with Sunderland, and we are looking forward to him joining us in the summer. However, for now his full focus is on helping them finish their season as strongly as possible.’
“The winger made his Championship debut in April 2023, coming on as a late substitute in the Black Cats’ 1-1 draw with Huddersfield. He has since gone onto make 17 first-team appearances for Sunderland, notably netting a brace in a 2-1 win over Stoke City in December. Tom has represented England at youth level for the under-17s and under-18s, making his debut for the latter in October 2023.”
Read your next Sunderland story here:Transfer details revealed as Kristjaan Speakman confirms Tommy Watson will join Brighton this summer