Plus: consecutive 3-2 defeats, more capital underachievers and a post-Christmas slump for the ages Mail us with your questions and answers “When Reinildo Mandava started for Sunderland in their 3-0 win over West Ham, he became the first Mozambican to play in the Premier League, which has now hosted players from 125 different countries,” noted Owen Collins last week. “That only dates from 1992 though – are there any nationalities that played in the old First Division that haven’t yet been represented in the Premier League?” Mandava’s debut actually takes the number of Premier League nationalities to 127, but are there any countries only represented in the English top flight before 1992? Well, the logical starting point is nations that only existed prior to 1992. Take it away, Darren Jalland: “Sergei Baltacha was, as far as I can tell, the only player from the Soviet Union whose entire club stint in England came before 1992 – he played for Ipswich Town from 1988 to 1990.” Continue reading...

Black Cats offer Mozambique international two-year deal Club set to miss out on goalkeeper Marcin Bulka Sunderland are working on a deal to sign Reinildo Mandava on a free transfer upon the expiration of his Atlético Madrid contract, as they prepare for life back in the Premier League. It is understood Sunderland have offered him a two-year deal worth £65,000 per week. The 31-year-old left-back, who recently played in the Club World Cup for Atlético, has spent the past three-and-a-half years with the La Liga side but did not renew his contract beyond the conclusion of the tournament America. While in the Spanish capital, Reinildo was often the second choice left-back, making 74 league appearances during his time after joining in 2022 from Lille. Continue reading...