Report: Sunderland’s Ashley Fletcher hopes in the balance

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Sunderland are hoping to loan striker Ashley Fletcher from Championship and local rivals Middlesbrough, but the January deal is in the balance.

Sunderland have been disappointed in their chase of a number of striker targets this month.

Jon Walters was linked with a move to the Stadium of Light from Burnley before suffering a serious injury and being forced to undergo surgery. And it was understood that Chris Coleman was closing in on a deal to bring in his former Wales starlet Ben Woodburn, but Philippe Coutinho’s exit means the teenager will now be staying at Liverpool.

And according to the Gazette Live, Sunderland’s hopes of loaning Ashley Fletcher from local rivals Middlesbrough appear to be in the balance, too.

The Sun (21 January, page 68) reports that the Black Cats had turned their attention to the former Manchester United youngster after the recent exits of Lewis Grabban and James Vaughan left them without a senior striker.

And while Boro are open to loaning out their £6 million summer signing, who has not played a minute of football since Tony Pulis’s appointment a month ago, Sunderland’s hopes could yet come crashing down.

Because Gazette Live states that Pulis does not want to see two strikers leave the Riverside this month, and it seems that Martin Braithwaite is closer to the exit than Fletcher right now.

According to L’Equipe, Bordeaux are keen to take the Danish international back to Ligue 1 just half a season after he swapped Toulouse for the north east of England and will pay £7 million to make the deal happen.

It is a potential deal that could determine if Sunderland are finally successful in an otherwise frustrating transfer window.