Glasgow Rangers are interested in a deal to bring Ross Stewart to Ibrox in the January transfer window.
What's the talk?
That's according to Dean Jones, with the transfer insider revealing in a recent interview with GIVEMESPORT that, following a number of reports linking Micheal Beale with a move for the Sunderland centre-forward this winter, the Rangers boss is indeed interested in a deal to bring the 26-year-old north of the border this month.
However, the journalist went on to suggest that, while the Light Blues would be able to offer the striker a competitive wage packet, Stewart's reported £10m asking price could pose the Gers something of a problem in their pursuit of the Scotland international.
Regarding their interest in Stewart, Jones said: "This deal has always seemed quite unlikely anyway, despite the fact that the interest is definitely real.
"I think £10k-a-week at Rangers would seem doable, given what some other players earn, but as we've said before, it's that price tag. It's always looked the trickiest hurdle to me; I think that still remains the fact."
Beale must move
Considering the sensational form Stewart has been in since his move to Sunderland from Ross County back in January 2021, the argument that Beale simply must do everything in his power to seal a deal for the centre-forward this winter is an extremely easy one to make.
Indeed, over his 49 League One appearances in his first full season at the Stadium of Light, the £3.1m-rated hitman was in devastating form, scoring 26 goals, registering three assists and creating nine big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 2.8 shots - 1.2 of which hit the target - making 1.3 key passes and completing 0.5 dribbles per match.
These returns saw the 26-year-old average a quite breathtaking Sofascore match rating of 7.25, not only ranking him as the Black Cats' best performer in the league but also as the joint 11th-best player in the English third tier as a whole - playing a key role in the Mackems' promotion.
It has been a similar story over his 11 Championship outings this season, with the £2.3k-per-week talent having already bagged nine goals, provided three assists and created one big chance, as well as taking an average of 3.5 shots - 1.6 of which have hit the target - making 0.8 key passes and completing 0.6 dribbles per game.
These metrics have seen the player who former Sunderland goalkeeper David Preece dubbed "exceptional" average an even more astonishing Sofascore match rating of 7.48, not only ranking him as Tony Mowbray's best performer in the league but also as the second-best player in the second-tier of English football in its entirety.
As such, with Stewart having more than proven that he is a player who can hit the back of the net on an incredibly regular basis in England, it is indeed easy to make the argument that Beale must do all he can to land the 26-year-old this January, as the Sunderland sensation would undoubtedly make an exceptional addition to the Light Blues' current attacking arsenal.