Sunderland scouts spent the weekend in the north of Portugal, as they were spotted at two games there, according to A Bola.
First, the officials watched Porto beat Belenenses 3-0 as the Dragons keep themselves in the fight for the league title. Yacine Brahimi was the Man of the Match, constantly finding solutions to break through the away side’s defensive tactics.
Then on Sunday, Sunderland officials saw a poor game between Rio Ave and Vitória Setúbal, which ended 0-0. The best player on the pitch was Rio Ave defender Roderick Miranda, who was linked to Wolverhampton earlier this season.
Another interesting story for Sunderland’s Portuguese transfer shopping also happened in the north of the country. Benfica midfielder Samaris, who was heavily linked to the Black Cats in January, punched an opponent and now faces a ban. Although the referee didn’t see it, it has obviously caught the local media’s attention and it’s very likely the player will get a suspension.
Losing discipline in such a way at an important time for Benfica could persuade the club even more that selling Samaris is a good idea.
David Moyes will have to completely readjust his transfer targets should Sunderland face relegation, and in that case it’s probably the second match between Rio Ave and Vitória Setúbal which will have had the more realistic targets.
