Cats target fancies a return to England

Mar 18 2008 by Stuart Rayner, The Journal

DIEGO Forlan has dropped a massive hint to his former Manchester United team-mate Roy Keane by admitting he would love a return to the Premier League.

Sunderland were strongly linked with a summer move for the Uruguayan striker but did not follow up their initial enquiry due to a prohibitive price tag. Instead the 28-year-old left Villarreal for Atletico Madrid for around £14m.

Forlan (pictured above) was a figure of fun in his time at Old Trafford. The Red Devils had to fight off strong competition from Middlesbrough for his signature but were rewarded with ten goals in 63 games.

However he made an impression on then-United captain Keane with his attitude and has since rebuilt his goalscoring reputation.

In his first season with Villarreal in 2004-05, Forlan won the “Pichichi” award as La Liga’s top scorer.

His 25 goals in that campaign helped “The Yellow Submarine” qualify for the Champions League for the first time. In all he scored 54 in 106 games for the El Madrigal club.

Having moved to Madrid as a replacement for Fernando Torres, Forlan is threatening once again to shoot his team into the Champions League.

At the weekend Atletico leapfrogged Sevilla into fourth place in La Liga, helped by his 13 goals in 26 games.

Despite his success in Spain, Forlan appears ready to return to England, however.

“I didn’t have a lot of chances to shine in England,” he said. “If a club gave me the chance to return to this championship, I’d think about it very seriously. I loved living in England.” A lack of goals this season has been a major problem for the Black Cats, who have found the net only 26 times in 30 Premier League games.

Kenwyne Jones is their top scorer with just five (no one else has more than three) and has suffered through a lack of support.

Centre-forwards Anthony Stokes, Daryl Murphy, Michael Chopra, Roy O’Donovan, David Connolly and Rade Prica are all on the staff, yet Keane has preferred to play Jones as a lone front man more often than not. Andy Cole has been sent to Burnley until the end of the season, when his Sunderland contract expires.

Forlan enjoys playing off a target man and would be an ideal signing if the Wearsiders were prepared to find the money. To date their most expensive signing is £9m goalkeeper Craig Gordon.

Meanwhile, fears the Black Cats are in imminent danger of losing their academy status appear unfounded.

Chairman Niall Quinn raised the prospect in his programme notes at the weekend when he wrote: “We believe we are the only club in the Premier League without an indoor training area and we’re well aware the club needs such a facility especially with the forthcoming closure of Crowtree, meaning we will also be in danger of losing our academy status.”

However, there are no plans to close the city’s Crowtree Leisure Centre, the facility to which he is referring. Sunderland have been using it since 2004 after their planning application for an indoor training “barn” at the Academy of Light was rejected.

The measure was only intended to be temporary and the Black Cats are exploring long-term solutions. But, although the centre’s swimming pool is due to be closed because of the opening of a new 50m indoor pool alongside the Stadium of Light, the converted ice rink will remain in use. Access to indoor training facilities is a requirement of academy status. Without it Sunderland would not be able to play in the FA Premier Youth Leagues. The club won the northern section last season and this term reached the FA Youth Cup semi-finals.

:: THIS season’s Tyne-Wear derby has been moved for a second time, to allow for live television coverage.

The clash was originally brought forward from 3pm to 1pm on April 19 at the request of the police, but has now been switched to Sunday April 20 (1.30pm). It will be live on Sky Sports.