Marcus Maddison has produced nine goals and six assists in League One for Peterborough United this season – but Sunderland still won’t sign him.
Marcus Maddison is unlikely to be pulling on the red and white stripes of Sunderland any time soon with The Chronicle reporting that Phil Parkinson’s side are reluctant to trigger the £2.6 million release clause in the Peterborough United talisman’s contract.
Considering how much The Black Cats have struggled for cutting edge and creativity since dropping down to the third tier in 2018, their stance over arguably the division’s most naturally gifted player could be seen as an odd one.
Maddison is exactly the sort of game-changing talent Sunderland, who remain as reliant upon the enigmatic Aiden McGeady as ever, are crying out for.
The Durham-born forward has produced nine goals and six League One assists as part of Peterborough’s thrilling front three this season. He also set up 23 goals in all competitions in a staggering 2018/19 campaign.
But The Chronicle reports that Sunderland are still unwilling to pay the relatively paltry £2.6 million it would take to release Maddison from his contract – though Phil Parkinson’s struggling side will keep an eye on the situation in January.
Peterborough chairman Barry Fry has made it clear, however, that the free-scoring side will not be accepting a penny below £2.6 million with Posh even willing to reject offers in and around the region of £2 million.
But surely, with Sunderland heading quickly in the wrong direction under Parkinson, need to just bite the bullet and bring a genuine match-winner to the Stadium of Light.
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