League One Sunderland could be about to raid north east rivals Newcastle United for young goalkeeper Nathan Harker.
Sunderland coach Elliot Dickman has admitted that a deal for Newcastle United goalkeeper Nathan Harker could be revisited in the summer when he becomes a free agent, as reported by the Sunderland Echo.
At the age of just 21, Harker could be about to do what most players would never dream of by swapping Tyneside for the banks of the Wear.
The Newcastle academy graduate has been on trial at bitter rivals Sunderland in recent weeks and, with the Premier League outfit unlikely to extend a contract which expires at the end of the season, a permanent move to the Stadium of Light appears to be on the cards.
“Nathan came to us and we were pleased with how he did,” said U23 coach Dickman. “We can’t do anything now, but we’ll look at it again at the end of the season.
“He’s back at Newcastle now and if he plays games for them, fantastic. If he’s still someone we want to pursue in the summer then we will, and if not then we’ll wish him all the best.”
Regulations mean that a player can only feature twice on trial for a single club so, after a pair of appearances between the sticks for Sunderland, the Black Cats had no choice but to let Harker go for the time being. But don’t be surprised if the homegrown stopper returns for good when the summer rolls around.
Scotland international Jon McLaughlin is out of contract in the summer and Harker could potentially take his place in the squad, with Lee Burge promoted to the number one spot.
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