TheSportsCampus

Sunderland have completed the signing of 18-year old starlet Connor Wickham from Ipswich Town. The striker, who was awarded the Football League's Young Player of the Year last season, has penned a four-year deal with the Wearside club, with an initial fee of £8 million reported to be what Sunderland paid for his services, with that amount possibly rising to £12 million depending on appearances and performance.

The versatile Englishman favours playing as a target man, but was deployed for most of the previous season as a winger for the Tractor Boys, and has been touted as a future England international, having been an integral part of the Under-17 side that won the European Championships crown in 2010. Liverpool too were interested in signing Wickham, but weren't able to reach an agreement with Ipswich over a transfer price, by when Sunderland manager Steve Bruce swooped in with an offer the Championship side couldn't refuse.

Bruce was thoroughly pleased with his new signing, talking up the youngster's talent and the likelihood of Wickham immediately joining ranks with the experienced attackers the club had at its disposal, like Asamoah Gyan.

"A number of top sides have been chasing Connor for some time now, so naturally we are absolutely delighted he has chosen to come to Sunderland", Bruce said. "He's still very young, but at 6'3" he's a physical presence. With his height and style of play, he will offer us a threat in front of goal and complement our existing strikers.

"We have been watching him for a while now and he is improving and developing all the time. He's a great prospect and I'm sure our supporters will love watching him play.''

Wickham himself talked up the move, speaking of his excitement to join the Black Cats and ply his trade in the Premier League next season. "Once the fee was agreed and I met with the manager, he basically told me everything about the club and the ambitions, and it was sold", he told Sunderland's official channel SAFC TV.

"Now everything is done and dusted, I just really can't wait to get started. Ever since the speculation, I have never felt pressured. I have never felt intimidated by what has gone on off the pitch or who has come in or anything like that. But now I am obviously relieved to have everything done. The weight has been lifted off my shoulders now. I can get back to playing football, and I know where I am going to be next season. I just want to play now.''

Ipswich chief executive Simon Clegg also sounded satisfied after having seen their asking price met by Sunderland. "As much as we'd have liked to have kept Connor we have to be realistic and recognise that the offer from Sunderland was simply too good to turn down," Clegg said.

"The deal is by far the biggest transfer fee this club has ever received and I'm told this could be a record in terms of a player moving from the Championship into the Premier League for the first time."

Sunderland were in dire need of reinforcements after the sale of their top players Darren Bent and Jordan Henderson to Aston Villa and Liverpool, respectively. However, with a couple of free transfers already sealed, and a part of the £38 million generated through the double transfers going on Wickham's acquisition, Steve Bruce looks to be building a new side that can possibly challenge for a European spot, after seeing his side drop off the pace in the second half of last season to end in a credible 10th place.

File Photograph Copyright: Just-an-Ipswich-fan at en.wikipedia