Report: Derby want Sunderland to take Chris Martin on 18 month loan

Follow us on Google Discover

Sunderland and Derby County are reportedly struggling to agree over how long Chris Martin’s potential loan deal will be.

According to a report from The Sun, Sunderland’s hopes of signing Chris Martin on loan from Derby County are hinging on whether the two clubs can reach an agreement as to how long the move will be for.

The Black Cats currently find themselves in a fairly desperate situation in the Championship. Chris Coleman’s men beat Hull City on Saturday, but they still find themselves in the bottom three in the second tier.

The Sun reports that they are keen on bringing Martin to the Stadium of Light on a temporary basis, and the Rams are ready to let the Scotland international leave Pride Park after his lack of game-time so far this term.

The Sun adds however, that the two clubs have different ideas regarding how long the loan deal will be for. Sunderland want to take Martin until the end of the season but Derby are hoping to strike a deal that sees the loan last 18 months.

Given Sunderland’s position in the table, signing Martin on loan until the end of next season may be a smart idea given that he is a proven performer in the Championship.

And given the Black Cats’ lack of striker options, wanting to keep Martin for a prolonged period surely makes a lot of sense given that it seems unlikely – based on their spending during the summer and during this window – that they will be signing a host of strikers in the coming months that will push the 29-year-old right down the pecking order and leave him as redundant as he appears to be at Derby right now.

If Sunderland can afford whatever fee Derby would want for an 18 month deal, it would surely be a mistake for Coleman to reject the terms that are on the table.