Sunderland set to face West Brom, Watford battle for ex-Sheffield United player | OneFootball

Ollie Norwood is still a free agent at present, and has plenty of clubs chasing his services

Sunderland are set to face competition from fellow Championship outfits West Bromwich Albion and Watford in the race to sign the experienced Ollie Norwood.

That's according to journalist Michael Graham, who provided an update via his X account on Tuesday evening, as the Black Cats prepare for their first season under the management of Régis Le Bris.

Much has been made of Sunderland's desire to adopt a youthful approach to their side, with plenty of them flourishing at the Stadium of Light despite what was a frustrating season for all concerned with the club.

At present, the futures of star performers such as Jack Clarke and Jobe Bellingham remain up in the air, but the addition of the ex-Sheffield United man would follow on from another recent update that came through the aforementioned Graham on June 22nd.

As previously mentioned, this latest update from the reporter states that the North East side hold a "serious interest" in Norwood, who remains a free agent at present following the Blades' relegation from the Premier League.

However, at present, talks between the respective parties are said to be far from advanced, with fellow Championship outfits in the form of West Brom and Watford also expressing an interest in striking a deal for the 33-year-old.

Norwood was one of many experienced players to leave the red half of the Steel City ahead of a much-needed summer rebuild by Chris Wilder's side, with the midfielder's departure becoming public knowledge prior to the final game of last season, alongside the likes of Wes Foderingham, Chris Basham and George Baldock, who became part of the Bramall Lane furniture over the years.

Ollie Norwood signing would highlight shift in transfer policy for Sunderland

Prior to the official confirmation of Le Bris' arrival from French outfit FC Lorient, with his tenure officially commencing at the beginning of this week, Fabrizio Romano claimed that a "wider restructure of the coaching staff" would take place at the Stadium of Light.

Shortly after, Graham revealed his own understanding of what looks set to occur following the Frenchman's arrival on Wearside, claiming that the hierarchy, such as sporting director Kristjaan Speakman and owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus have learned from their past mistakes when it comes to recruitment and power over those in the dugout.

Furthermore, this update via X claimed that the club would be targeting much more experienced players this transfer window, which would no doubt balance out the average age of the squad, which last season was by far the lowest, with a total of 22.4, having used 32 players across the campaign.

The acquisition of Norwood would highlight this shift in policy alongside the recent acquisition of goalkeeper Simon Moore, as the Northern Ireland international was a lynchpin in the Blades' midfield over a six-year stint.

He made 252 appearances for the Blades and netted 11 times, winning promotion to the top flight on two occasions, as well as reaching the FA Cup semi-finals in 2022/23, before losing to eventual treble-winners, Manchester City.

30 of those appearances came in his last season with United, with the last of those coming as a 12-minute substitute cameo against Manchester United in April.

Ollie Norwood would relish Sunderland move

After his release, this latest update proves that the central midfielder won't be short of offers in the coming weeks, highlighting his ability and leadership qualities at this moment in time.

Norwood would no doubt relish the chance to move to another of the Championship's bigger sides, and would rise to the expectation that comes with representing Sunderland.

There are plenty of similarities between Sheffield United and the Black Cats, with Norwood part of the side who ended a 12-year wait for top flight football under Chris Wilder five years ago. Whilst it's only been seven years so far that Sunderland have been absent from the Premier League, the desperation to return remains the same.