Jimmy Dunne has made 10 appearances for Jack Ross’s Sunderland since joining on loan from Premier League Burnley in January.
Burnley’s technical director Mike Rigg has suggested that the Premier League club could sell Jimmy Dunne to Sunderland in the summer, while speaking to the Lancashire Telegraph.
The Dundalk-born defender started his career with Manchester United but moved to Turf Moor in 2016, although he has yet to make his top flight debut for Sean Dyche’s Clarets.
Instead, Dunne has been spending time on loan away from Burnley, enjoying a fine spell at Hearts in the first half of the season before moving to Sunderland in another temporary deal.
Dunne has since made ten appearances in League One for Jack Ross’s side, who are looking good for a place in the play-offs.
If Sunderland want to keep the 21-year-old at the Stadium of Light, they could be in luck given Rigg’s comments.
“We want to be one of the best Academies in the country, but we can’t spend what Manchester City spend, so we’ve got to do what’s right for us,” Rigg said.
“If we get a Dwight McNeil in the team, or a Jimmy Dunne is sold to Sunderland, that’s achieved the objective.”
McNeil has exploded on to the scene this season, establishing himself as a key player on the left-wing for Dyche. And it seems the next errand on Rigg’s tick list is to offer Sunderland the chance to keep Dunne on Wearside.
Whether they will take up that chance remains to be seen. Speaking to the Shields Gazette recently, Ross admitted the young defender had been ‘up and down’ since arriving two months ago.
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