Blackburn Rovers winger Connor Mahoney looks certain to leave but will he choose Sunderland over Barnsley?
While David Moyes may stand by his claims that Sunderland are not accepting their fate and planning for life in the Championship, the club’s transfer links may suggest otherwise.
According to The Sun, highly-rated Blackburn Rovers winger Connor Mahoney is the latest second tier player to be linked with a summer move to Wearside.
Mahoney is out of contract at the end of the season and could therefore be available for as little as a £250,000 compensation fee. Therefore, the deal suits a club strapped for cash, not to mention one desperately in need of creativity.
Blackburn’s Director of Football Operations, Paul Senior, recently told the Lancashire Telegraph that the club see Mahoney as hugely important to their long-term future and are committed to keeping him at the club.
However, with relegation threatened Rovers two points from safety with two games to go, you could hardly blame the winger from jumping ship.
And a club of Sunderland’s stature may prove an enticing destination despite the misery that has surrounded the Stadium of Light in recent seasons; although the Wearsiders will not be without competition.
The Sun reported in February that Barnsley were keen to take advantage of Mahoney’s contract situation. The youngster, who arrived at Blackburn from Accrington in 2013, would fit in at Oakwell with manager Paul Heckingbottom demonstrating an ability to help young talents progress and move onto bigger and better things.
However, the prospect of playing in front of 49,000 fans at the Stadium of Light may convince Mahoney that his future lies at Sunderland.
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