Lee Johnson has provided an update on Sunderland's attempts to keep Denver Hume at the club.

What's the talk?

The Black Cats manager has confirmed that the 22-year-old has rejected the club's latest efforts to keep him at the club. The full-back's contract expired at the end of June and he has been unable to agree on an extension at the Stadium of Light.

Johnson told The Northern Echo: “In terms of negotiations, they’re being considered.

“The best offer has been put forward, the best offer has been declined.”

Fans will be livid

Sunderland fans will be livid with this news for multiple reasons. For starters, Hume is one of their own and is going against the club by rejecting their best offer. He came up through the youth ranks at the Stadium of Light and has never played for another professional team in his youth or senior career, showing that he has grown up as being Sunderland through and through - just like a supporter.

One of their own has left the club in the lurch and has departed for nothing, assuming he does not change his mind before finding another team, and supporters could be furious with his choice. He will have his own reasons for making this decision, of course, but until he is able to speak out about the matter, it could leave fans disappointed with an apparent lack of loyalty to the cause.

Another reason why many fans will likely be raigng is that Hume was a reliable performer on the pitch for the club. Sunderland legend Gary Bennett once hailed the defender for being “direct” as he ups the tempo in games.

He told the Sunderland Echo: “He gets the ball and brings a little bit more tempo into the game and goes past people. He’s direct and he causes one or two more problems. But if you take him out of the game, where else is that coming from?”

The £2.4k-per-week beast averaged a solid WhoScored rating of 6.83 across 23 League One appearances in the 2020/21 campaign. He made 1.9 tackles and interceptions per game as he was able to prove himself to be a consistent option at left-back.

Between turning down the club's best offer, and Sunderland duly being deprived of one of their most reliable performers from last season, the Wearside faithful will be far from pleased with the manner in which Hume's relationship with their side has come to an end.

AND in other news, Sunderland handed transfer boost over “talented" £2.1k-p/w ace, fans will be buzzing...