How did Sunderland manage to land AJ?

Not sure if it's official now but I just wonder why didn't we go after him?

Can anyone clarify me on how did we miss AJ?

Did we join the bidding war for him or Man City was a jerk and blocked our offer?

In my opinion he's one of those players who can make the difference in the tight match. He's young and good on counter with dribble and speed which are something that we lack at the moment. And he would likely be a major upgrade from Downing.

Instead we are investing in central midfield which are very crowded right now - Lucas, Adams, Spearing, Henderson, Allen, Gerrard and potential new comer like Sahin.

Any thoughts on this?