Ex-Leeds United man's transfer twist as Sunderland sign winger after training ground picture leaked in Sheffield Wednesday blow

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One former Leeds United player appears to have completed his next move

Leeds United’s Championship rivals Sunderland have appeared to complete the signing of Ian Poveda after a picture was leaked of the player holding up a Black Cats scarf at the club’s Academy of Light training ground.

Poveda was one of a handful of players released by the Whites at the end of last season. He spent the second half of the campaign on loan at Sheffield Wednesday and despite struggling with injuries, still played a role as the Owls avoided relegation after spending much of the season in the bottom three. He made 10 appearances in total for Wednesday who finished 20th in the table as Rotherham United, Huddersfield Town and Birmingham City were relegated.

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The Owls had been keen to bring Poveda back to Hillsborough permanently given his status as a free agent but they have been beaten to the punch by the Black Cats while Burnley and Luton Town were also credited with an interest earlier in the window. A photo uploaded on social media, however, has shown Poveda wearing a Sunderland shirt and holding up a club scarf while posing for pictures with club media staff in the north east.

Speaking earlier this week, Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl admitted his club were not close to a deal as talks were threatening to hit an impasse. He told the Sheffield Star: “On the one side we have interest from the club and what we want to do, but then there is the player’s side and the agent’s side. There must be a match and maybe there are some things that are maybe not a match and so it is different. In my mind Ian Poveda is not under contract, we will look in the end where he is and what we can do, but it must be a decision together.”

Now Sunderland have swooped to strike an agreement for the 24-year-old with an announcement likely to arrive soon. Poveda’s youth career saw him join the academies at Chelsea, Arsenal, Barcelona and Brentford before landing at Manchester City. He joined Leeds from the Premier League champions in 2020 but was unable to nail down a regular starting spot and had loan spells at Blackburn Rovers, Blackpool and Wednesday before his release.

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