Sunderland's rivals 'agree deal' to sign in-demand star as Leeds United man makes 'awesome' claim

Sunderland’s search for a manager is seemingly never-ending amid another fresh blow, this time in the form of former Hull City boss Liam Rosenior. The Black Cats sacked two managers last season, with Michael Beale the latest to go, and finding a replacement has been far from easy.

With Championship clubs already preparing for next season en masse, Sunderland are quickly falling behind given they still don’t know who will be in charge next season. In the meantime, we have rounded up all the latest news surrounding the rest of the Championship clubs.

Wednesday ‘land deal’

Sheffield Wednesday are said to have reached an agreement with SCO Angers to sign Yan Valery. The 25-year-old is set to return to England, according to L’Equipe, having previously played for Southampton and Birmingham City.

Valery, who helped Angers return to Ligue 1 last season, recently said:“If I had the chance to go back to England, I’d take it. I have really felt a warmth.” Wednesday are said to have beaten competition in France to seal the signing.

Aaronson on Leeds return

Returning Leeds United star Brenden Aaronson has been speaking about his time on loan with Union Berlin in Germany. “Playing in the Bundesliga is super physical, it’s just a battering. The biggest thing I learned this year is working on physicality. I got a nutritionist and I gained six pounds of muscle mass, which is huge for me,” he revealed.

“I had to gain weight. At Union, there wasn’t a ton of football. We were without the ball much more. It forced me to get stronger and win more duels.” Asked about the conversation with Leeds boss Daniel Farke that convinced him to return, Aaronson added: “It was an awesome conversation. The role he sees me playing, the games he watched of me, how I fit into the team, and, importantly, the things I can get better at.”

Johnson on Sunderland spell

Former Sunderland boss Lee Johnson has been speaking about his Black Cats ‘regret’. He told the Daily Mail: "I wouldn’t change my experience at Sunderland for the world. My regret was that I didn’t get to see through what would have been a promotion-winning team, but I was delighted when Alex Neil did achieve that. I love Sunderland, the fans, their songs, training ground. Everyone in the building was Sunderland through and through."

He added: "I’m really hungry to get back, that's for sure. And I have a point to prove. I really do believe in what I can do and the value I can add. But football is a bit like, ‘who’s hot? who’s not?’ I hope people look at the broader decade I’ve had rather than the last year. What I haven’t been doing this time is chasing the next job. I applied for one – that’s it, I didn’t get it, obviously! There are a lot of opportunities and angles I can take now but there’s many avenues other than management.

"I have done some advisory work for a family looking to buy a club, just a bit of squad analysis. I have been offered director of football roles in the past and that’s something I’d really enjoy, the strategic side of the game. But there’s no doubt coaching is my passion – it’s what gets me out of bed in the morning. The lads, the grass, the wins, the camaraderie… it’s a drug, you can’t describe it. People say, ‘Why do you do it?’. But when you win and build something special, that is amazing, you crave it."