One Sunderland supporter went as far as to announce Dan Neil as the ‘red and white Iniesta’ following December’s 1-1 draw with Ipswich Town.
And while such a compliment was distinctly tongue-in-cheek – or at least, we’d hope it was – the way he set up Nathan Broadhead’s equaliser at Portman Road was certainly reminiscent of the Barcelona legend in his playmaking pomp.
Picking up the ball just inside the opposition half, Neil jinked his way past Lee Evans with an impudent nutmeg before lifting up his head and pinging an inch-perfect through ball in behind the Ipswich defence.
That was Neil’s eighth assist of a superb breakthrough season at the Stadium of Light. With a place in the Championship on the line, Sunderland supporters are hoping it’s not the last.
According to The Sun, Aston Villa have joined another claret-and-blue clad Premier League club in expressing an interest in the former Hebburn Town Juniors starlet, a mercurial midfielder born in South Shields and made in Sunderland.
The report adds that Villa, who have already snapped up Philippe Coutinho, Lucas Digne and Kerr Smith during a busy transfer window, have the funds to test Sunderland’s resolve in the here and now.
What’s more, the Black Cats are understood to be ‘weighing up offers’.
And it’s that sentence that will keep Sunderland supporters up at night.
Will Sunderland really sell Dan Neil to Aston Villa?
In January 2019, Sunderland sold another academy graduate in the shape of Josh Maja during the January window.
At the time, the Wearsiders were third in the table. Maja couldn’t stop scoring either, hitting the target 16 times between August and January 18th.
Four months later, Sunderland were losing to Charlton Athletic in the play-off final, having missed out on automatic promotion.
There is far more talent in Sunderland’s squad these days however. And, in Lee Johnson, they have arguably the best manager in the division.
Patrick Roberts, a player Manchester City once paid £12 million for, is also set to arrive. Club legend Jermain Defoe could follow in his footsteps.
But should Neil go, midway through a season which promises so much, then who can blame Sunderland supporters for fearing that history may be about to repeat itself?
In the most recent Spiderman movie, Zendaya’s MJ said; ‘If you expect disappointment, then you can never really be disappointed’.
Many on Wearside would be forgiven for adopting that attitude themselves.
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