'Le Bris, a reluctant orator of this most dramatic of transformations, confirmed quietly before the visit of City to the Stadium of Light on Thursday evening that Sunderland have tried to break their record transfer fee once more, with a move for Tottenham’s Brennan Johnson, who appears to be close to joining Crystal Palace. Just a potential £33.5million signing then, dropped into the end of a conversation. Bear in mind the most Sunderland paid for a player for five years was the £3million that went to Wigan Athetic for Will Grigg in 2019.'