Crystal Palace and Brighton are battling to sign Dion Sanderson from Wolverhampton Wanderers before his contract expires in the summer of 2022, as reported by the Mail.
If Sunderland are serious about keeping hold of a defender who has shone on loan at the Stadium of Light this season, then securing promotion at the third season time of asking is an absolute must.
With clubs from the Premier League and the Championship queuing up to land the 21-year-old, the chances of Sanderson playing League One football in 2021/22 look decidedly slim after all.
The versatile defender has been a big hit on Wearside, scoring his first senior goal in Saturday’s 2-0 victory over Rochdale while catching the eye once again in a new-look centre-half position.
Former Sunderland striker Stephen Elliott even compared him to a young Jonny Evans, the Leicester City stalwart who made a big impact during his short-lived spell as a youngster at Sunderland.
Sanderson, a right-back by trade, is highly-regarded at Wolves.
But the Mail claim that summer bids will be considered with Nuno Espirito Santo’s side willing to cash in on a man who will be a free agent next year.
Championship quartet Cardiff, Huddersfield Town, Sheffield Wednesday and Bristol City are all interested, while Palace and Brighton could offer Sanderson the chance to prove himself in the top flight.
It is no secret that Crystal Palace are looking to reduce the average age of a battle-scarred squad and Sanderson would act as a long-term successor for the likes of Joel Ward and Gary Cahill.
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