The Derby County striker no longer appears to be Sunderland bound.
Derby County striker Chris Martin is set to reject a loan move to Sunderland, according to the Daily Mirror [live blog entry: 12:02].
Martin has only made five league starts under Derby manager Gary Rowett, and is likely to fall further down the Rams’ pecking order after Cameron Jerome’s arrival from Norwich City.
Several Championship clubs, including Sunderland, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Norwich, Reading and Fulham, have been credited with interest in signing the 29-year-old this month.
And after Fulham boss Slavisa Jokanovic ruled his side out of the running on Thursday, it would now appear as though Sunderland can do the same.
According to the Daily Mirror, Martin ‘is not keen on [Sunderland manager, Chris] Coleman’s request’ after returning from Derby’s Dubai training camp on Thursday.
Martin, who has David Nugent, Matej Vydra, Cameron Jerome, Andreas Weimann and Sam Winnall for company at Pride Park, scored 10 League goals in 33 Championship games while on loan to Fulham last season.
Sunderland, meanwhile, have been left with only teenage pair Joel Asoro and Josh Maja as options up front, after losing Lewis Grabban and James Vaughan this month.
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