As the British transfer deadline worked its way through all day Tuesday, there was a surprise move in store for DeAndre Yedlin. Rumors began circulating with two hours to go until the window shut. The Tottenham defender was linked with a loan deal that would ensure he got better shot at regular first-team football and also allowed him to remain in the Premier League.
The Premier League team in question was Sunderland, who have endured a difficult start to the season and are currently among the favorites to be relegated. The Black Cats are yet to win a game, despite the best efforts of ex-Toronto man Jermaine Defoe.
Therefore the defense is a clear priority for boss Dick Advocaat to repair. DeAndre Yedlin would be a fantastic addition to Sunderland. He has tonnes of pace and power at his disposal and certainly has the desire to succeed. They believed this and managed to sign their man with around 40 minutes or so to go.
BREAKING NEWS: Sunderland sign DeAndre Yedlin on loan from Tottenham for the rest of the season #SkyDeadlineDay http://t.co/kXOFRDxb8e
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) September 1, 2015
Sunderland saw a bid for Liverpool defender Tiago Ilori rejected, making Yedlin their backup plan it would seem. The Ilori bid was rejected Tuesday morning on deadline day making time short for a Yedlin deal to be worked out.
Their current full-backs Patrick van Aanholt and Billy Jones have struggled so far this season. If Yedlin was to move, he would get an early shot at impressing under Dick Advocaat. The Dutch manager has long been looking for solutions, having called for more signings.
Fans had their say on the Yedlin situation as the transfer window clock ran down.
Is Yedlin quick enough to get across to the left back position to cover the space where Patrick Van Aanholt should be? #SAFC #COYS
— John (@Ramma_____) September 1, 2015
DeAndre Yedlin has played just once for Spurs since signing last season in April. He did feature in pre-season though, notably in the MLS All-Star Game which Spurs lost. It was going to be a big season for him that was going to be difficult but exciting nonetheless.
Yedlin began his career with Seattle Sounders in MLS and impressed so much there that he earned his USMNT call-up and then a big move to the Premier League. But Spurs are a difficult club to break into so Yedlin needs a move like this for his career to really progress.
There had been interest within Europe of taking the 22 year old on loan but the European window shut on Monday night meaning DeAndre Yedlin could not move to a European club until the next window opens in January. That did not matter as he remained in the Premier League.
He is currently in Washington D.C with the rest of the USMNT. However this did not seem to affect a deal going through. The USMNT are going up against Peru on September 4th at RFK Stadium, with kick-off at 7:00 ET. They then take on Brazil in New York on September 8th.