Although Paddy McNair to Middlesbrough is reportedly off, that won’t necessarily stop Sunderland from re-signing Grant Leadbitter.
Stewart Donald says it is the fault of Paddy McNair’s agent, and not Sunderland, that a proposed £5m transfer to Middlesbrough has fallen through.
The Black Cats owner was speaking after Boro pulled out of a deal to sign McNair because the midfielder’s representatives were talking to other clubs.
“To be fair, the club haven’t offered Paddy McNair around at all – we want to keep him,” Donald was quoted by Teesside Live.
“But we set a price when his agent advised he wanted to leave. Boro met it and only them so we have left them to it.
“I said the agent I believe is still offering the player around! Not us.”
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Donald originally revealed that the Teessiders had made a move for McNair on the Roker Report podcast and that Stoke City – who are now the favourites for the 23-year-old’s signature – were the only other team to match them “so far”.
How will this affect the Leadbitter deal?
On the same podcast Donald also said that the club were interested in bringing Grant Leadbitter back to the Stadium of Light this summer.
Leadbitter has been at the Riverside for the past six years after joining from Ipswich Town, but before that the 32-year-old played 119 games for Sunderland after coming through their academy.
However, there might be fears that re-signing the midfielder – which would be on a permanent basis not a loan, as also revealed by Donald – would now be in doubt following the collapse of the McNair deal.
Yet another report from Teesside Live states that Leadbitter was in no way part of the transfer of the Northern Ireland international and therefore presumably, unless Boro no longer want to deal with their North East rivals, a move back to Wearside could still happen.
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