Sunderland were keen to bring winger Edwin Gyasi to the Championship and it looks like he is heading to the North East – but with Middlesbrough instead.
Sunderland may struggle to conclude any transfer deal this month unless they can raise funds by selling the likes of Didier N’Dong, Lamine Kone and Jack Rodwell.
As it stands, however, no one has left Wearside this month, meaning the debt-ridden club will be restricted to short-term loans like the signing of centre-back Jake Clarke-Salter from Chelsea.
The Mail reported on Tuesday (live blog, 14.39pm), that Sunderland had suffered a blow in their attempts to bring Edwin Gyasi to the Stadium of Light from Norwegian side Aalesund, with the Black Cats only able to conclude temporary deals as things stand.
It is understood that Gyasi would be available for a fee rising to around £1 million – pocket change for almost every other side in the Championship. Including, it seems, Sunderland’s local rivals Middlesbrough.
The Yorkshire Post has reported on Thursday that Tony Pulis’s Boro are now in pole position to sign Gyasi this month, which would be a further blow to a Sunderland side who already look to have missed out on the signing of Liverpool youngster Ben Woodburn.
26-year-old winger Gyasi, a Ghanaian international who scored six times in the league for Aalesund last season, would be Pulis’s first signing since taking over at the Riverside from Garry Monk in December.
But with Sunderland in need of players who can both score and create goals, missing out on Gyasi to their rivals would be a blow.
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