Sunderland have climbed back above Birmingham City as frontrunners for the Preston North End player’s signature.
Sunderland are now evens favourites to sign Preston North End striker Jordan Hugill with bookmaker Bet Victor, despite drifting to 10/1 over the weekend.
Sunderland’s appointment of former Preston boss Simon Grayson on Thursday prompted the Mackems, along with Reading and Wolverhampton Wanderers, to be installed as 4/1 frontrunners for Hugill’s signature.
Former Preston manager Simon Grayson
However, reports of interest from Birmingham City over the weekend, combined with Preston’s apparent reluctance to lose any more of their staff to the Stadium of Light, appeared to have made a deal for the 25-year-old unlikely.
At 2/1, Birmingham were clear favourites on Monday morning, ahead of Wolves (4/1) and Reading (6/1), however, Sunderland have since leapfrogged all three sides to the front of contention.
The sudden surge in betting can perhaps be explained by Grayson’s failure to rule out moves for Hugill and Aiden McGeady, who played for Preston on loan from Everton last season, in a subsequent interview with The Northern Echo.
Either that or a deal for the Middlesbrough-born player, who scored 13 goals and made another three in 47 Lilywhites appearances last term, has suddenly gathered pace.
Will Sunderland, Birmingham or anyone sign Preston’s Hugill (pictured, below right) this summer?
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