Sunderland Scouting Ledley

Tonight's Newcastle Chronicle newspaper is reporting that Sunderland are hot on the trail of Cardiff City man Joe Ledley and that The Black Cats boss, Ricky Sbragia, will be at Millennium Stadium on Wednesday night to check on Joe playing against Germany in what is now more a friendly than a World Cup qualifier.

Sunderland's troubles before the last transfer window with Roy Keane leaving the club and Sbragia in a caretaker role leaves them playing catch up this summer and they are keen to line up their targets now with Sbragia commenting that, "I had only been in the job a few weeks and had to switch from a situation where I was the coach, looking after the first team, to a manager looking at every other aspect of the club. I had very little time to prepare for the January window, but we didn’t do too bad. We got in Calum Davenport and Tal Ben-Haim but the main aim was about getting players out in order to foster a better team spirit. The next transfer window will be different though."


One of those players he moved out was Michael Chopra with his permanent switch to Cardiff City being cemented this summer and you do have to wonder if Joe going in the opposite direction is one way of funding the deal.


City fans of course will hope Joe stays and this could only signify Premiership football has been attained but with Joe having just 1 year left on his current Bluebirds contract and not keen to sign another unless City get promoted, it is a foregone conclusion he will leave in summer should City fail in the promotion bid via automatics or play-offs.