Published Jun 3, 2026, 12:40 PM GMT+1

Tom is a football journalist with five years of experience. He has been featured in the Non-League Paper, Crawley Observer, Sussex Express and The RedmenTV - producing features, news and conducting interviews.

For Football FanCast, Tom has sat down with a number of names from the industry, including Ally McCoist, Philippe Senderos and Chris Waddle. Elsewhere, he has covered the National League South final, the Formula E London Prix, Crawley Town and Brighton’s U21s.

Tom enjoys writing features about teams in the Football League and Premier League, whilst also receiving the opportunity to conduct interviews on behalf of FFC.

Having written for The RedmenTV, he is particularly an expert on all things Liverpool.

Not even the most optimistic Sunderland fans would have believed European football was on the cards when they earned promotion back to the Premier League last season. Regis Le Bris' side have done what many deemed to be impossible at the Stadium of Light and could now reap the rewards in the transfer market.

Having already signed the likes of Granit Xhaka and Brian Brobbey last summer, Sunderland have now reportedly set their sights on Geoffrey Kondogbia and Aston Villa's Tammy Abraham. Both would be excellent additions and both are signs of intent from those in Wearside.

As for Newcastle, they've got plenty of work to do this summer. They were well short of their standards this season and have already paid the price - losing Anthony Gordon to Barcelona in a deal worth £69m.

They're in dire need of a pick-me-up that their biggest rivals are seemingly keen to deny before the summer can truly even get underway.

According to Rudy Galetti, Sunderland and Newcastle are expected to launch offers to sign Michael Parker, a promising young centre-back, with bids coming "soon".

Still just 21 years old, Parker has impressed in Sweden with Orgryte and could be on his way back to England for the first time since leaving West Bromwich Albion in the January transfer window. Whether that's to Tyneside or Wearside remains to be seen, however.

Parker should prioritise Sunderland move

The news that Newcastle are interested in Parker arrives at the same time that Fabian Schar has signed a new deal at St James' Park. On paper, that's good news for Eddie Howe but it would also be another obstacle in the way of any young centre-back that arrives this summer.

It's why Parker should ignore interest from the Magpies and pick Sunderland instead. The Stadium of Light has become a breeding ground for young talent in the last months. Chemsdine Talbi, Noah Sadiki and Chris Rigg, who came through the academy, have all been handed the chance to make their mark. Now, Parker could be next.

There's clearly work to be done for Parker to become Premier League-level, but Le Bris has proved how capable he is of transforming players ever since he's stepped foot in Wearside. At the right price, Sunderland can land a defender full of potential and get one over on Newcastle.

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