Sunderland are reportedly set to miss out on Curtis Nelson.
Sunderland will be looking for new signings this summer after missing out on promotion from League One, and a new defender may be on the radar.
The Black Cats do have Jack Baldwin, Tom Flanagan and Alim Ozturk at Jack Ross’s disposal, but Jimmy Dunne has returned to Burnley following his loan spell.
A replacement for the Irishman will be needed, and Sunderland seemingly wanted to raid a League One rival in order to bolster the defensive options at the Stadium of Light.
The Daily Mail reported over the weekend that Sunderland want Oxford United’s Curtis Nelson, with the 26-year-old set to leave the Kassam Stadium on a free transfer.
However, it’s believed that Nelson has rejected a move to Sunderland, and will instead sign for Championship side Cardiff City following their relegation.
Nelson has spent the last three years featuring prominently for Oxford, and rather than sign up for more time in League One, he’s heading on to the Championship to play for Neil Warnock.
Sunderland fans have been taking to Twitter to react to the situation, with some surprised that Nelson has earned himself a move to the Championship having mostly been linked with League One clubs.
Others are slamming Sunderland for losing out on key targets again, with some a little more realistic, acknowledging that he would always pick a Championship team over one in League One.
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