Spoke To People About Him – Ex-EFL Star Sees Sour Taste For Sunderland Fans With Player’s Exit | OneFootball

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Former Championship hitman Sam Parkin believes that promising forward Tom Watson leaving Sunderland in the summer leaves a bad taste in the Black Cats fans’ mouths.

Watson came through the Black Cats youth system before he made his senior debut for them back in 2023.

This season, he has been given some chances to show his worth and his brace against Stoke City back in December grabbed a lot of eyeballs, but he missed a bunch of games due to injury until last month.

There was interest in the winter transfer window, but now Premier League side Brighton have now signed him for £10m from the Championship side and he will join them at the beginning of the summer transfer window.

Parkin revealed that he has spoken to people in the game regarding Watson, who think he will become a top player in the future.

However, he is clear that Sunderland fans will have a really bad taste in their mouth as they are losing their prized asset at the end of this campaign.

“I have spoken to some people in the game about him, just by chance, recently”, Parkin said on What The EFL (37:41) about the Brighton-bound Sunderland attacker.

“I think everyone was looking at him, I think he is supposed to be a top talent.

“So, it is no surprise, given the conversations I have had, that he is moving on.

“[Him leaving] does not leave a particularly good taste in the mouth of Sunderland supporters.

“I think they are really disappointed to lose one of their prized assets.”

The England youth international has played 17 senior games for the Black Cats so far, and that brace against the Potters in December are the only goals he has scored for them.

Sunderland will hope that Watson will have an impact in Sunderland’s push for a promotion to the Premier League this season.