Sunderland have been handed a key boost in their pursuit of Ali McCann... 

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According to Yorkshire Live, Hull have been hit with a transfer embargo and will not be able to exit it until they have repaid loans they received to combat the loss of revenue caused by the pandemic.

This could come as a key boost to Sunderland in their pursuit of St Johnstone midfielder Ali McCann. The Sun on Sunday (27.06.21, pg. 61) reported that Hull were interested in signing the Black Cats target but now Lee Johnson will have one less competitor for his signature.

Johnson needs him

Kristjaan Speakman must react to this news by moving swiftly ahead with a swoop for the Northern Ireland international in the coming days. The prospect of joining a Championship side could have been an attractive prospect for McCann, but now that Hull are seemingly unable to complete a deal for him due to their restrictions, that could open the door for Sunderland.

Speakman may now be able to convince him to make the switch to League One as Hull's potential offer of second-tier football in England is unlikely to be on the table so this update could be a major boost to the club's chances of being able to bring him to the Stadium of Light, which Lee Johnson will be delighted about as he needs a player of his quality in midfield.

Grant Leadbitter, Chris Maguire and Max Power are among those who have left the club in recent weeks, which has left a gap in Johnson's midfield unit. McCann averaged a WhoScored rating of 6.81 in 31 starts for club and country as a central midfielder last term, which is a higher score than any Sunderland central midfielder managed in League One.

McCann's St Johnstone teammate Jason Holt labelled him as “undroppable” last year and said that he has the potential to achieve great things in the game because of his talent and attitude.

He told The Herald, as transcribed by Glasgow Times: 

“I’m a big fan of Ali McCann. I think he has done exceptionally well this season and I’ve been really impressed.

“Since I went in, he was definitely one of the players that I was really impressed with especially at such a young age.

“He got his place in the team at the start of the season, and to keep it, it is testament to himself and the performances he has been putting in. He has been undroppable.

“He’s definitely got the potential to go on to bigger things. He has a great head on his shoulders and he is very down to earth."

This shows how highly the £1m-rated gem is thought of amongst his peers in Scotland and highlights why he could be a great signing for Sunderland.

If he is thriving and undroppable in the Scottish Premiership, the top division in Scotland, then he could be able to hit the ground running and make an impact by dropping down to the third division in England.

AND in other news, Speakman could strike gold for Sunderland with 20 y/o talent, fans will be buzzing...