Black Cats accept new bid for Diouf
Jan 30 2009 by Mark Douglas, The Journal
EL-HADJI Diouf will leave Sunderland for Blackburn Rovers after former boss Sam Allardyce had an improved offer for the Senegal attacker accepted.
Sunderland had originally knocked back a bid of £2.5m from Rovers, with Ricky Sbragia insisting the forward was part of his plans and was not for sale.
And The Journal understands Sunderland could be set to re-invest some of the money in a proven Premier League defender, with Liverpool defender Sami Hyypia interesting Sbragia.
The Black Cats boss has previously denied any interest in the experienced defender, but could now be set to bolster his back four with a move for the Anfield stopper.
Diouf has failed to make in-roads into the first team since the Scot replaced Roy Keane as Black Cats boss, and Sunderland are now ready to part company with a player who is desperate for first- team football.
It is believed the deal for Diouf is close to completion and, provided there are no hitches, the Black Cats should make a modest profit on a player who has failed to fulfil his potential at the Stadium of Light.
Diouf could even be involved in Rovers’ relegation six-pointer with Middlesbrough over the weekend.
He was one of Roy Keane’s most notable signings of the summer and made an instant impact in pre- season, but that has not been matched by his performances since the campaign began.
The Senegal international signed a four-year deal, but has only shown fleeting signs of his ability in the 13 Premier League games he has been involved in this season.
Sbragia had issued a "hands off" warning to Allardyce earlier in the month, but the player’s situation is similar to Pascal Chimbonda. Sunderland said he was not for sale, but reluctantly agreed to let him go because he was unsettled.
Diouf will be the fifth player to leave the Stadium of Light on a permanent basis this month, following Liam Miller, Graham Kavanagh, Ross Wallace and Pascal Chimbonda out of the exit door.
As well as pruning the top-heavy squad that Sbragia inherited, it should provide the Sunderland boss with considerable funds to make a transfer breakthrough over the next four days.
He is hopeful of making his first signing within the next 24 hours, although the identity of his number one target remains shrouded in mystery.
The Black Cats were knocked back in an attempt to sign Calum Davenport on loan earlier this week, and opted not to follow up their interest in Christophe Berra after Wolves made a £1.5m bid for the Hearts defender.
While Sunderland continue to try to make progress in their recruitment drive, Sbragia has warned his players there was “too much back-slapping” after their Wear-Tyne derby victory at the Stadium of Light.
The Black Cats boss felt that his team expended too much energy in the 2-1 triumph over Newcastle – and paid the price in the following weeks.
“We got carried away and played Stoke on the Wednesday and we were really atrocious. We lacked energy – most of it was used in the Newcastle game and afterwards with back-slapping,” he said.
“Maybe we took our eye off the ball and maybe we should have changed the team more, but we didn’t play well in the weeks after the Stoke game – certainly not to the standards we set – and I will remind them of that.
“It carried on for few weeks. It snowballed from there in general, but maybe too much energy and talk had gone on after the derby win and we forgot about the basics.”
Sbragia will have George McCartney and Kieran Richardson available for the trip to St James’s Park, although Teemu Tainio (knee) is a doubt and Paul McShane (hamstring) has been ruled out.
BIRMINGHAM have completed the signing of Honduras striker Carlos Costly on a loan deal until the end of the season.
Blues have paid £500,000 to Polish side GKS Belchatow for the temporary switch, with the Coca-Cola Championship club having an option to make the 26-year-old’s move permanent at the end of the campaign.
Blues manager Alex McLeish said: “He is a target man-type striker, who is hungry and has loads of bottle.”
