EXCLUSIVE: Sunderland braced for battle with Brighton over top academy product

Sunderland will have to hold off serious interest from Premier League club Brighton to keep hold of Tommy Watson.

Sunderland are bracing themselves for a battle to keep hold of academy star Tommy Watson with Premier League club Brighton setting their sights on the youngster.

The 17-year-old is incredibly highly rated by the Black Cats, and last month signed his first professional contract with the club.

That means no one will be able to poach him without first agreeing a fee with Sunderland, but that is something Brighton are happy to do after their scouts identified him as a potential star in the making.

The Seagulls have regularly sent scouts to track his progress and see him as an ideal fit for their model of developing their own young talent.

Sunderland have a similar model, though, and with Watson contracted until 2026, they are in a strong position to fight off any interest in the Easington-born winger.

However, Brighton are incredibly keen and have money to reinvest into their developmental system after the summer sales of Moises Caicedo and Robert Sanchez to Chelsea and Alexis Mac Allister to Liverpool.

Another hurdle Brighton would need to overcome would be persuading Watson to move so far from home. Before signing a professional deal with Sunderland, Watson attracted interest from Nottingham Forest and Rangers, but he considered Sunderland to be the place where he wanted to continue his development.

“I am delighted to continue my journey here at Sunderland,” Watson said after signing his contract.

“I have had a frustrating time recently with injuries, but a lot of hard work has gone in to get to this moment.

“I would like to thank all the staff who have supported me over the years and my teammates for being there with me every step of the way.

“This is only just the start and I know I am at the right place to continue my development.”

Watson initially joined Sunderland under-9s and has progressed through every age bracket at the the club – including a first-team debut last season in the home draw against Huddersfield. 

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