Report: Sunderland hope to offload James Vaughan; Wigan chase loan deal

Follow us on Google Discover

Sunderland are hoping to get James Vaughan off their books after a poor first-half of the season in the Championship.

According to a report from The Sun on Sunday (print edition; 31st December 2017; page 61), Sunderland are keen to shift James Vaughan off their books during the January transfer window, and Wigan Athletic are ready to make a loan bid.

The 29-year-old arrived at the Stadium of Light off the back of a sensational season with Bury, scoring 24 times at Gigg Lane. This season however, has been a major struggle for the former Everton trainee.

Vaughan – who was signed during Simon Grayson’s brief tenure – has scored just twice in 22 Championship appearances, and Chris Coleman is now hoping that they can move him on this month.

The Sun on Sunday (print edition; 31st December; page 61) reports that the Black Cats forward is attracting attention from League One leaders Wigan, and they are prepared to pay £10,000 a week of his salary, meaning that Sunderland will only have to pay £5,000 a week for the duration of the loan spell.

The Sun on Sunday adds that Sunderland would like to sell him permanently in the summer. And Black Cats fans will certainly be hoping that any funds that come in for Vaughan, if he does leave, is spent on the squad as Coleman tries to lead the club to survival.

Vaughan certainly has not captured the imagination since arriving, but with Lewis Grabban’s future seemingly up in the air, letting him leave may be something of a gamble if they ultimately end up losing Grabban also.