Prica quits Sunderland for Norway
Sunderland have allowed striker Rade Prica to join Norwegian side Rosenborg for an undisclosed fee.
The 28-year-old Sweden international held talks over the weekend and has clinched a move in time for Saturday's season-opener against Valerenga.
Prica played six times for the Black Cats, all of them as sub, after a £2m switch from Aalborg in January, 2008.
"Things didn't quite work out for Rade here, but he was professional around the place," said boss Ricky Sbragia.
"He also made a significant contribution with a crucial goal at home to Birmingham. We wish him all the very best with Rosenborg."
That goal against Birmingham came under former boss Roy Keane last January, helping Sunderland to a 2-0 win that helped them towards survival in the Premier League last term.
However, Prica has not made a single appearance for the Wearsiders this season.
Stokes completes Hibernian switch
Hibernian have announced the signing of striker Anthony Stokes from Sunderland on a three-year contract.
Stokes, 21, will team up with Hibs manager John Hughes for the second time, having played under him when on loan to Falkirk from Arsenal in 2006.
"I'm absolutely delighted to be joining Hibernian and particularly pleased to be working with John Hughes again," Stokes told the club website.
"I'm looking forward to producing my best for him and for the team."
Hibs had an earlier approach to take the Republic of Ireland international on loan rejected but have now agreed an undisclosed fee for the player who was signed by Sunderland for £2m from Arsenal in January 2007.
He had two years left to run on his current contract with the Black Cats and was believed to have been on wages of £14,000 a week.
It was his successful loan spell as a teenager under Hughes when the Hibs boss was in charge of the Bairns that led then Sunderland manager Roy Keane to move for the young prospect.
He scored 16 goals in 18 appearances for Falkirk but managed only five goals in 38 appearances, 22 of them as a substitute, for Sunderland.
He found himself behind Kenwyne Jones, Djibril Cisse, Daryl Murphy and David Healy in the Premier League side's pecking order last season.
And he spent much of last season out on loan, firstly with Sheffield United and then Crystal Palace.
Stokes could go straight into the Hibs squad for their early kick off at Falkirk on Saturday, if international clearance arrives on time.
"Anthony has got bags of talent and I can't wait to start working with him again," said Hughes. "He has scored goals in the SPL before and I'm certain that he will score goals again. I see him as a great addition as we continue to develop the squad."
Steve Bruce blasts ref Anthony Taylor after sending off
Sunderland boss Steve Bruce rounded on rookie Premier League referee Anthony Taylor after 10-man Sunderland were held to a 2-2 draw by Birmingham.
Taylor, who was overseeing his third Premier League match, sent Lee Cattermole off for a second bookable offence just before half-time.
But Bruce insisted Cattermole's first booking should not have been given and said Taylor was "out of his depth".
"Today, all the big decisions, in my opinion, he got them wrong," he added.
"I don't want to criticise referees but I think he's only been refereeing for four years and it looked like it.
"For it to be in a Premier League game, when we've got (fourth official) Chris Foy standing there, one of the best officials, it doesn't make sense."
The Black Cats were two goals up inside an hour thanks to Darren Bent's penalty and an own goal from Stephen Carr.
They lost skipper Cattermole to a second yellow card for a foul on Lee Bowyer just before half-time.
And Blues defenders Scott Dann and Liam Ridgewell went on to score in the final 12 minutes to earn the visitors a point.
Bruce said Cattermole was initially booked for dissent, but the Sunderland manager insisted his captain had committed no offence.
"The first yellow card, nobody in the ground knows what it's for," he said. "Cameron Jerome fell over and made a meal of it but apparently he hasn't booked him for that but for Catts kicking the ball away.
"I've seen it and he never kicked the ball away, he passed it to them.
"You could say Catts was naive on the second one but in my opinion the referee, I think it's his second or third game, he was out of his depth and if you're going to fast-track people through they have to be exceptional."
Cattermole was involved in another contentious incident when he caught Birmingham striker Garry O'Connor with an elbow, causing a nasty cut above the Scot's eye.
Blues boss Alex McLeish was unhappy with the challenge, saying: "The guy's jumped with elbows outstretched.
"In the UK we still don't really penalise that but in the Champions League they can send you off for that."
Bruce, however, did not see anything malicious in the challenge and described the collision as a hazard of the job.
He said: "It's impossible to jump without your arms out. It's why I've got a face like I've got.
"If you're going to play this game then sometimes, when you jump for the ball, you're going to get caught."
Spurs swoop for former Man United star
Sunderland’s utility man Kieran Richardson is a transfer target for Tottenham Hotspur reports the Evening Standard.
The 26-year-old former Manchester United star has attracted the attention of Spurs manager Harry Redknapp after a number of impressive performances for the Black Cats this season, which has also seen him re-emerge on the international radar.
Fabio Capello has been tracking Richardson in recent matches and was close to a shock recall to the England set-up for this week’s international friendly in Denmark.
He has been capped for the Three Lions of course, scoring twice on his England debut in 2005 as Sven Goran Eriksson’s side beat the USA 2-1 at Soldier Field in Chicago.
Tottenham scouts have made a wide midfielder a priority signing for the summer ahead of the likely departures of David Bentley and Niko Kranjcar.
However, It is Richardson’s versatility that attracts Redknapp to the ex-Red Devils man, having played right across the midfield this season as well as providing emergency cover at left back.
He has worked briefly under the Spurs manager before as a young player at West Ham but Manchester United snapped him up before he could make his debut.
At Old Trafford, Richardson was primarily deployed as a left midfielder but never really cemented his place in Sir Alex Ferguson’s side and so moved to the Stadium of Light in 2007 reuniting him with former teammate and Manchester United legend Roy Keane who had taken up the manager’s post at Sunderland.
Current Black Cats boss Steve Bruce will be in no rush to sell the player but it is believed that the idea of moving to White Hart Lane would interest Richardson, particularly if Tottenham qualify for the Champions League again.
But with two years remaining on his existing deal, Tottenham will have to come up with a generous offer in order to make the move possible.
