A major update has emerged about Sunderland transfer target Dion Sanderson.
What's the talk?
According to Football Insider, Premier League side Wolves have decided that they are ready to cash in on Sunderland target Dion Sanderson. The report claims that Wolves are not going to wait for a new manager to be appointed and that they are prepared to sell him as soon as possible for a fee in the region of £2m.
Sunderland are one of a number of clubs interested in signing Sanderson on a permanent basis. The other clubs are not named in the report, but they are said to be from the Championship and League One. Sunderland believe that the relationship they built with Sanderson during his time on loan at the club can help them secure his services ahead of the other parties.
Former Sunderland boss Phil Parkinson hailed Sanderson as an “athletic” player upon his arrival at the Stadium of Light on loan last year. He told Sunderland's official website:
"I’m pleased to welcome Dion to the club. He’s a young and athletic player who will add further competition to the squad."
Fans will be buzzing
Sunderland fans will be buzzing to read this update as it is the clearest indication yet that a permanent move could be possible for Sanderson.
Wolves are ready to sell him and the Black Cats could now profit from this by snapping him up and adding him to their squad on a long-term contract heading into next season. It would not only be a boost to the short-term ambitions of the club, but it could also aid their long-term planning as well.
In the short-term, he could be a key cog in Lee Johnson's squad next season. The defender averaged a solid WhoScored rating of 6.88 in 17 League One starts at centre-back in the 2020/21 campaign on loan to Sunderland, which shows that he already knows how to be a reliable performer within Johnson's set-up. He has also shown off his versatility at the Stadium of Light by playing at right-back and left-back, offering Johnson flexibility in the way that he can use him within his squad next term.
Bringing Sanderson in on a permanent basis could also be an excellent piece of business for the long-term. Sanderson doesn't turn 22 until December and has plenty of years ahead of him to develop and grow as a player and as a person.
Playing regular first-team football with Sunderland in League One could help him progress and improve as he will be gaining valuable experience week-in-week-out against seasoned League One professionals. This could allow the £2m beast to grow alongside Sunderland and he could become a Championship standard player in time for the club's potential promotion.
This is a deal that the Black Cats must get done, if they do, their fans would be delighted.
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