Sunderland reportedly have Josh Hawkes approach rebuffed

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Hartlepool United’s Josh Hawkes has offers from the Premier League and the Championship with Sunderland, Leeds United and Newcastle keen.

Josh Hawkes might have only made the fourth start of his senior career at the weekend but the 19-year-old Hartlepool United midfielder has already got plenty of admirers.

According to the Sunderland Echo, Newcastle United, Leeds, Middlesbrough and Sunderland themselves have been keeping a close eye on Hawkes’ progress at Victoria Park this season.

The teenage number 10 has shone in a struggling Hartlepool side who sit 17^th in the National League table – though it may not be easy tempting the North East club into a summer sale so soon after they lost another young starlet, target-man Josh Simpson, to Preston North End.

The Hartlepool Mail claims that Sunderland have made contact with their local neighbours about potentially signing Hawkes this summer. The Black Cats were also keen to check the homegrown talent out in a behind-closed-doors trial game.

But it is understood that their advances have been rebuffed with Pool keen to keep Hawkes for as long as possible.

Caretaker manager Matthew Bates even stated recently that, while he believes Hawkes has the potential to play at a much higher level in the future, the coveted playmaker would benefit from staying at Hartlepool for at least another year.

So Sunderland, not to mention Leeds, Newcastle and Middlesbrough, might be wasting their time with an approach this summer.