Sunderland are believed to be eyeing a move for Manchester City forward Marlos Moreno, with the Colombian attracting interest from a number of Championship clubs.

What's the word?

According to Marca, the Black Cats are believed to be one of the sides that are interested in the 25-year-old - alongside Middlesbrough - with the 5 foot 7 menace having been the subject of 'many offers' from the second tier.

The report suggests that while the eight-cap ace is currently training with French outfit Troyes, the player is keen on a stay in England, albeit with the northeast side's current bid said to have been 'insufficient'.

Despite having been signed by City back in 2016 on a £4.75m deal from Atletico Nacional, Moreno is yet to feature for the Etihad outfit, having spent the past six years out on loan at various clubs across Europe and South America.

After returning from his latest temporary spell at Belgian side Kortrijk over the summer, he now appears set for pastures new, with just a year remaining on his existing deal in Manchester.

Broadhead alternative

This interest comes amid the news that former Sunderland loanee Nathan Broadhead has joined Wigan Athletic on a season-long loan deal from Everton, having seemingly snubbed the chance of a return to the Stadium of Light.

The 24-year-old had impressed in League One last term, despite spells out with injury, having scored 13 goals in all competitions for the club, including ten in just 20 league games in that promotion-winning campaign.

His absence will no doubt need to be filled, hence turning to Moreno as a potential solution, with the £810k-rated speedster seemingly finally ready to make his mark in English football after having not been handed a sniff by Pep Guardiola.

While the Medellin-born winger scored just two goals in 32 appearances during his most recent spell away from the Cityzens, prior to that he had blossomed at Lommel in Belgium's second tier during the 2020/21 season, scoring six goals and laying on four assists in just 25 games across all fronts.

It was during that eye-catching stint that he was lauded by journalist Sven Claes, who said of Moreno's displays: “In my opinion he was the best player of the league. He played some wonderful games, he started playing every week and had a lot of minutes and no injuries which is very important for players like that also mentally.

“Don’t forget the Belgian weather and the pitches, it’s not the Premier League, so it can be difficult for creative players like him but he succeeded very well. He’s really a winger who takes on a full-back, sometimes he really embarrassed them."

That latter line will no doubt have caught the attention of Neil and co, with there set to be huge excitement at the prospect of bringing on board such a skilful and direct player who is willing to beat his man.

For all the frustration over the Broadhead failure, it could well prove a blessing in disguise if the City-owned gem is snapped up.