Sunderland goalkeeper Anthony Patterson could spend the remainder of the season away from the Stadium of Light.

What's the talk?

That's according to Alan Nixon's report for The Sun on Sunday (via The 72), with the journalist revealing that, while the 21-year-old's current loan at Notts County is only due to run until October 26th, the shot-stopper could be kept on by the National League side for the rest of the current campaign - if he impresses during his initial spell at Meadow Lane.

Johnson would be buzzing

Considering the sheer amount of potential Patterson appears to possess, should the youngster indeed go on to impress for Notts County over the coming month, and subsequently be kept on by Ian Burchnall's side until the end of the season, Lee Johnson would undoubtedly be buzzing.

Indeed, it would perhaps be understandable if the player Johnson dubbed an "excellent" talent felt slightly hard done by in being loaned out in the first place, as, over his two League One appearances earlier this season, the youngster kept one clean sheet, conceded just one goal and made an average of four saves per game.

These metrics saw the £600-per-week Patterson average a SofaScore match rating of 6.95, ranking him as the Mackems' eighth-best performer in the third tier - albeit with a limited amount of appearances.

The 21-year-old also turned in impressive displays in each of his two appearances in the Carabao Cup, averaging a SofaScore match rating of 7.05 in the competition.

As such, considering the drop in division - and, thus, the standard of football - it would not be surprising to see Patterson flourish during his short spell at Notts County, or the National League side being extremely keen to retain the services of the 'keeper for the remainder of the season - something which would undoubtedly help develop the shot-stopper much more than sitting behind the likes of Lee Burge and Bayern Munich loanee Ron-Thorben Hoffmann in the Black Cats' pecking order.

In other news: £180k-rated Sunderland "winner" who made six interceptions ran the show vs Bolton