JUST IN: HUGE betray as Long term raided January wishlist. ace badly wanted by Baele now break the heart of The Black Cats fans by signing secret deal to join rival club despite personal terms reached with Sunderland.
Former Sunderland transfer target Oliver Norwood has signed with League One club Stockport County.
After being released by Sheffield United following their relegation from the Premier League, the 33-year-old Northern Ireland midfielder was linked with a move to Sunderland by several sources.
At that time, Sunderland was in need of experienced midfield options following the departure of Corry Evans, Norwood’s international teammate, who also left the Stadium of Light at the end of the 2023-24 season. However, Sunderland has since secured the signing of former Preston North End player Alan Browne, likely ending any interest in Norwood.
Norwood was also reportedly on the radar of Championship clubs West Brom, Watford, and Hull City, with rumors of interest from MLS clubs as well. Despite this, Norwood has chosen to sign a three-year contract with Stockport County.
Stockport manager Dave Challinor expressed his excitement about the signing, stating, “Ollie is an opportunistic signing, but what a signing it is! He initially came in as a mutual ‘you help us and we’ll help you out’ for the Blackburn friendly, but it’s clear that both sides have had a significant impact on each other, and Ollie was eager to make this happen.
“I think it speaks volumes about the set-up, infrastructure, and environment that Simon and Mark have established here that a player who made nearly 30 Premier League appearances last season has been impressed enough to walk away from other offers to sign with us.”