Leeds United won't 'advance things' regarding their pursuit of Swansea City striker Joel Piroe unless his price tag is to drop, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.

Is Joel Piroe moving to Leeds United?

According to Football Insider, Leeds United, Southampton and Leicester City are set for a three-way transfer tussle to try and land Piroe this summer.

The report states that Leeds United are keen to replace former striker Rodrigo Moreno, who has recently departed for Qatari side Al Rayyan, while have been impressed by his ability to function as both a central striker and an attacking midfielder.

Last term, Piroe was in brilliant form for Swansea City and notched 20 goals and two assists in 45 appearances across all competitions for the Welsh outfit, as per Transfermarkt.

Piroe has been a particularly potent threat during his time at the Jacks and found space among packed defences at will last campaign, recording 3.3 shots per match in the English second-tier, as per WhoScored.

Earlier in the window, The Daily Mail claimed that Swansea City may hold out for a fee in the region of £12 million amid Southampton's interest.

Nevertheless, The Swansea Independent have claimed that Piroe wants to move to the Premier League and would be open to a switch to Everton or Nottingham Forest.

Serie A side Atalanta are believed to have submitted an enquiry for the 23-year-old this summer; nevertheless, nothing concrete has come to the table at the moment with speculation continuing to mount over the Dutchman's future at the Swansea.com Stadium, according to Wales Online.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jacobs doesn't think that Leeds United's interest in Piroe is at an 'advanced' stage and has indicated that his price tag may need to drop before any prospective move to Elland Road.

Jacobs told FFC: "With Leeds, I think that it's very possible that they don't advance things unless the price drops. I wouldn't want to downplay the fact that they've looked, but I also don't think that anything there with Leeds and Piroe is particularly advanced at the time we're recording this."

What next for Leeds United?

Leeds United boss Daniel Farke will hope that he can add some quality reinforcements to his squad in the next few weeks to boost the Whites' chances of gaining promotion to the Premier League in 2023/24, having only added Ethan Ampadu to the fold so far from Chelsea, as per Transfermarkt.

According to Football Insider, Newcastle United goalkeeper Karl Darlow is in the process of completing a medical at Elland Road ahead of an imminent move to Leeds United.

Football journalist Pieter-Jan Calcoen of Belgian outlet Nieuwsblad has claimed on Twitter X that Anderlecht ace Francis Amuzu is another target for Leeds United alongside Luton Town and Ligue 1 outfit Nice, stating: Francis Amuzu of RSCA is high on the wish list of Leeds, Luton Town and OGC Nice. There is no concrete offer yet, but at least one of the three clubs is preparing one."

The Whites are also in advanced discussions to sign Rangers midfielder Glen Kamara for a fee of £5 million, beating off competition from several Sky Bet Championship clubs, as reported by Football Insider.

يستعد فريق الاتحاد لمواجهة قوية وهامة أمام نظيره الشباب اليوم الجمعة، وذلك ضمن منافسات بطولة دوري روشن السعودي، مساء اليوم الجمعة.

وتقام المباراة بين الفريقين على أرضية ملعب مدينة الملك عبدالله الرياضية “الجوهرة المشعة”، في خضم مواجهات الجولة الـ 29 من عمر مباريات الدوري.

وكان الاتحاد قد حقق فوزاً مثيراً على نظيره الحزم بنتيجة 3-2، وذلك بالمباراة التي أقيمت بينهما يوم السبت الماضي بالجولة الـ 28.

طالع أيضاً.. ترتيب هدافي الدوري السعودي.. موقف كريستيانو رونالدو

ويحتل الاتحاد المركز الرابع في جدول ترتيب الدوري السعودي برصيد 50 نقطة، فيما يأتي الشباب بالمركز العاشر، ولديه 35 نقطة. موعد مباراة الاتحاد والشباب اليوم في الدوري السعودي

تنطلق المباراة اليوم الجمعة في تمام الساعة التاسعة مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية. القناة الناقلة لمباراة الاتحاد والشباب اليوم

من المقرر أن تنقل المباراة عبر قناة SSC HD1.

ويمكنكم مطالعة مواعيد ونتائج جميع المباريات لحظة بلحظة عبر مركز المباريات من هنا

Leeds United are plotting a summer swoop to sign Swansea City striker Joel Piroe, according to reports in the last 48 hours.

Is Joel Piroe leaving Swansea City?

Since arriving at the Swansea.com Stadium from PSV Eindhoven back in 2021, Piroe has become an integral member and a regular feature of Michael Duff’s side, having started 43 games out of 46 last season in the Championship, and it’s fair to say he’s been a standout star across the border.

The Dutchman firmly established himself as the Welsh outfit’s top-performing offensive player and second overall with a WhoScored match rating of 6.93 during the previous campaign, and following the course of his impressive displays, he’s alerted the attention of Daniel Farke and the 49ers in West Yorkshire, but not for the first time.

Read The Latest Leeds Transfer News HERE…

The Athletic’s Phil Hay reported earlier this month that the Whites had “targeted” the 23-year-old at the end of last summer’s transfer window, but with a deal having failed to materialise at the time, it sounds as if they are ready to take a second bite at the cherry – and there’s no better time to do so than now.

That's because the Swans' talisman will be out of contract in less than a year, meaning that the ongoing window will be his club’s final opportunity to cash in should they not want to risk losing him for free, so there’s a chance that he could be available for a cut-price – something which Leeds chiefs, amongst others, are looking to capitalise on.

Are Leeds signing Joel Piroe?

According to Football Insider, Leeds, Leicester City and Southampton are “set to battle” it out to secure the services of Piroe ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

The Elland Road outfit “want someone in his mould” and have therefore identified him as an ideal target, whilst Russell Martin is “keen to reunite” with his former attacker at the St Mary’s Stadium. Elsewhere, the Foxes are also “keeping tabs” amid growing interest in duo Kelechi Iheanacho and Patson Daka.

Who could Joel Piroe replace in LS11?

Leeds recently lost Rodrigo to Qatari side Al-Rayyan SC, so Farke will need to enter the market to find a suitable replacement in that centre-forward role, and having been hailed a “clinical” finisher by journalist Josh Bunting, Piroe could be the perfect candidate.

Swansea’s £11k-per-week earner posted 21 goal contributions (19 goals and two assists) in 43 second-tier appearances last season, whilst getting 140 shots away – more than any other of his fellow teammates, via FBRef. This prolific form in the final third saw him named as the best player of the match by WhoScored on five occasions.

Should he put pen to paper, Piroe would also provide excellent versatility for the boss having been deployed in five different positions since the start of his career, including across the frontline and even in attacking midfield, so should the opportunity to sign him present itself in the final weeks of the window, this is a no-brainer of a decision for the Whites board to make.

Piyush Chawla’s experience will be handy for a young side looking to build on recent Ranji success, says Gujarat captain Parthiv Patel

Shashank Kishore17-Aug-2017

“The need for new challenges” has led legspinner Piyush Chawla to move from Uttar Pradesh to Gujarat for the upcoming Indian domestic season. Chawla and RP Singh, the former UP pacer who signed with the reigning Ranji Trophy champions last season, will be the two professional players for the side in 2017-18.Chawla’s paperwork has been completed, allowing him to join the Gujarat squad ahead of their pre-season camp next month, after his stint with Chemplast in Chennai’s first-division league. Chawla was earlier in talks with Vidarbha, who eventually signed legspinner Karn Sharma.”Up north, you either get flat wickets or seaming tracks. We’ve struggled to find a middle path, so as a spinner, opportunities to make inroads are very less. I wanted to play in an environment where the surfaces are little more responsive and allow you to make an impact,” Chawla told ESPNcricinfo. “It was a hard decision to move from a state where you’ve played right from the start, but pure cricketing reasons merited a move.”Chawla brushed aside murmurs of competition for places with Kuldeep Yadav being the reason for his move. “Most teams field two spinners anyway, so that isn’t the reason,” he said. “We play together at the IPL for Kolkata Knight Riders. I’ve been around for 12 years now, so there’s no insecurity. I’ve read these things in the papers, but I can’t explain the reason to everyone. He’s come along very well, but for me, personally, at this stage of my career, I wanted a new perspective and I thought playing for a side that has come up tremendously would give me an opportunity to contribute in many ways.”Parthiv Patel, the Gujarat captain, felt Chawla’s experience would be invaluable. “With India playing lot of limited-overs cricket at home, there’s a possibility we may not have the services of Axar Patel throughout. We wanted to strengthen our spin department, and we’re happy to have someone of Piyush’s calibre,” he said. “We will be playing our home games in Surat and Valsad, where it turns. Having a wristspinner, we thought, would add a lot of value.”He’s also very handy lower down the order as a batsman. That skill of his is underrated. So overall, he brings a lot to the table. We had a chat last year. He indicated his willingness to come over, which we thought about ahead of the season. When we assessed our balance as a squad, considering we will defend our title, we felt we were lacking in the spin department. With Piyush coming over, we feel we have most boxes ticked.”Chawla, a Ranji Trophy winner with UP in 2005-06, the same season in which he debuted for India, led the side in 11 first-class games across three seasons. He featured in just two first-class matches in a disappointing campaign in 2016-17, when UP finished seventh in the nine-team pool, with one win, four losses and three draws.Chawla has picked up 386 wickets over 117 first-class games, 80 of which have been for UP. An IPL regular with Kolkata Knight Riders, Chawla last played for India in 2012.Other domestic transfersRobin Uthappa from Karnataka to Saurashtra
KB Arun Karthik from Assam to Kerala
Karn Sharma from Railways to Vidarbha
Ambati Rayudu from Vidarbha to Hyderabad
Pragyan Ojha from Bengal to Hyderabad
Chadrakant Pandit, the former Mumbai coach, will head Vidarbha

Celtic may face a battle to keep hold of Stephen Welsh this summer, with The Daily Record, via 67 Hail Hail reporting that Italian sides are now clear to place official bids for the defender.

How many games has Stephen Welsh played for Celtic?

The 23-year-old first came into the picture as an 18-year-old for the Hoops, although he didn't make his first league appearance for the side until 2019. He was initially shipped out to Greenock Morton on a loan deal, with his parent club not able to fit the teenager into their squad. It led to him amassing plenty of experience, featuring 15 times for the Scottish outfit in the Championship. Upon his return to the Hoops, he had made enough of an impression to be handed his Scottish Premiership debut.

Following that, he went on to play 16 times for the club in the 2020/21 SPL campaign and even bagged a goal along the way. However, his gametime has since tailed off, with nine league starts followed up with only four in the entirety of last season. Welsh has therefore had to make do with plenty of time on the sidelines then and has been mainly used as a rotational squad option by the Hoops.

That's despite the fact that, during the campaign in which he featured most, he won more tackles (13) than some other more senior and active players in the squad like David Turnbull and Shane Duffy.

Is Stephen Welsh leaving Celtic?

Now, according to The Daily Record, via 67 Hail Hail, the defender could be set for the exit door this summer. That's because interest is high in Welsh, mostly from Italian teams, and with an update to transfer rulings in the country it means that a deal is more likely to happen.

Udinese and Hellas Verona are two sides who have been mulling over bids and with the pathway now cleared for more UK signings to be made, they could finally launch official bids to land the 23-year-old – and, with Celtic braced for offers, they could opt to sell the player if they feel there is no room for him in the current squad.

That will come down to new boss Brendan Rodgers, who could very well decide he fancies playing Welsh more. If he does, then he will face a battle to fight off some of the expected bids from interested sides.

Whilst Welsh hasn't been a consistent first-teamer for Celtic, he has often come in for high praise due to his performances when he is on the field. Former Hoops boss Ange Postecoglou stated that the defender was "outstanding" and "fantastic" – even though he also, at the time, admitted he couldn't fit him into the team.

It would be a waste to have such a solid option then spend his days on the sidelines and it looks like he could be given a reprieve then this summer, should the Scottish side feel he isn't a part of their plans. With Italian teams seemingly queuing to sign him, he could have the chance to play more regularly, but time will tell what the new boss decides.

The 42-year-old South African replaces Andre Coley, who has been appointed head coach of Windward Islands Volcanoes

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Aug-2017Ryan Maron has replaced Andre Coley as West Indies’ fielding coach. He joins the West Indies team in England ahead of their three-Test series which begins on August 17.Maron, the 42-year-old former opening batsman who played 18 first-class matches for Western Province in South Africa, has previously worked as fielding coach with Dolphins in South African domestic cricket as well as with the Afghanistan national team. Coley, meanwhile, has taken over as head coach of Windward Islands Volcanoes.”This is a massive privilege to be involved in West Indies cricket and I’m delighted to join the Windies coaching staff,” he said. “I have followed West Indies cricket over the years as a kid and then as a player and a coach and I’m just happy to be offered this opportunity to make a contribution as a coach.”The game in the West Indies has a great history and here in this group we have a young bunch of cricketers who will perform well. I’m also looking forward to working with the ODI and T20 sides as we look to climb back up the ladder in world cricket.”

Manchester United were 'always confident' that they would be able to tie Marcus Rashford down to a new long-term deal at Old Trafford, according to journalist Dean Jones.

Has Marcus Rashford signed a new contract at Manchester United?

As per The Daily Mail, Rashford has signed a new five-year deal at Manchester United that will see him earn a basic wage of £300,000 per week at Old Trafford.

Bagging a wage increase of £50,000 per week from his previous deal, the England international couldn't contain his excitement when discussing his decision to commit his future to his boyhood club, stating in an interview: "I joined Manchester United as a seven-year-old boy with a dream. That same passion, pride, and determination to succeed still drives me every time I have the honour of wearing the shirt.

I've already had some amazing experiences at this incredible club, but there is still a lot more to achieve and I remain relentlessly determined to win more trophies in the years ahead."

Last term, Rashford was the catalyst for the Red Devils' improvement under boss Erik Ten Hag, as he notched 30 goals and 11 assists in 56 appearances across all competitions, as per Transfermarkt.

The Athletic have revealed that Rashford rejected offers from at least one Premier League rival to stay at Manchester United and Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain were also believed to have been sniffing around the 25-year-old.

Rashford's contract renewal is the latest positive in a recent flurry of good news surrounding the club and follows on from Mason Mount's arrival last month from Chelsea for an initial fee of £55 million, as per Sky Sports.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jones has indicated that Manchester United were always relaxed during the process of trying to get Rashford to commit his future to the club.

Jones told FFC: "They were always confident for quite a long time now that the Rashford deal was shaping up in the way they wanted it. I guess the best news to come out of this is that they've definitely got an option at number nine for the start of next season, because Marcus Rashford will be there and he is certainly somebody that Ten Hag has trusted in that role and he'll be able to fill that role if he needs to."

What next for Manchester United?

Undoubtedly, Manchester United boss Erik Ten Hag will now be keen to continue his recruitment spree at Old Trafford as he gears his side up for a tilt at the Premier League title.

Journalist Samuel Luckhurst, who is the chief Manchester United writer for The Manchester Evening News, has taken to Twitter to reveal that Andre Onana's pending transfer to the Red Devils from Inter Milan is nearing completion, as he stated: "Andre Onana is at Carrington now for his medical."

Atalanta striker Rasmus Hojlund looks to be the next port of call for Ten Hag and Manchester United are believed to be in 'advanced talks' with the Serie A outfit to negotiate the structure of the potential transfer, having already thrashed out personal terms with the Denmark international, according to The Independent.

Respected transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has reported that Urawa Red Diamonds goalkeeper Zion Suzuki has emerged as another target in the goalkeeper department and the Red Devils will focus on trying to bring in the Japan international once the addition of Onana is finalised.

Offspinner Muhammad Ghous, who was dropped last year after captaining USA at the 2015 World T20 Qualifier in Ireland, has been recalled in a 14-man squad picked for USA’s T20 matches against St. Kitts & Nevis Patriots and Jamaica Tallawahs in Lauderhill, Florida on August 2 and 3.The games are being used as preparation for both CPL teams ahead of their season-opening slate in Florida beginning on August 5 while also providing USA’s players with a chance to impress against higher-profile opponents. These matches will be USA’s first games since they failed to gain promotion from WCL Division Three in Uganda this past May.

USA squad

Camilus Alexander, Fahad Babar, Davion Davidson (wk), Muhammad Ghous, Elmore Hutchinson, Nosthush Kenjige, Jaskaran Malhotra (wk), Japen Patel, Mrunal Patel, Nisarg Patel, Usman Rafiq, Roy Silva, Jessy Singh, Abdullah Syed

“These matches are a great opportunity for USA to compete against some of the best in the world,” USA selection chairman Ricardo Powell said. “Initiatives such as these are of critical importance for the development of our playing group and we are grateful to the CPL, St. Kitts [& Nevis] Patriots and Jamaica Tallawahs for arranging these practice matches in the lead up to the USA-leg of the tournament.”The door for Ghous’ return was opened by five of USA’s first-choice players being unavailable due to their involvement with CPL franchises. They include captain Steven Taylor (Guyana Amazon Warriors), allrounder Timroy Allen (Tallawahs), wicketkeeper Akeem Dodson (Barbados Tridents), fast bowler Ali Khan (Warriors) and legspinner Timil Patel (St Lucia Stars).Along with Taylor, the rest of USA’s batting top-four from Division Three – Sagar Patel, Ibrahim Khaleel and Alex Amsterdam – were all omitted due to unavailability on short notice. Sagar and Khaleel are both currently in Europe on previously arranged time away while New York-based Amsterdam was unable to get leave from work, according to sources. Batsman Nicholas Standford, who was part of the squad in Uganda, is also believed to have been unavailable due to work commitments.That presents opportunities to impress for a host of uncapped players including 37-year-old former Sri Lankan first-class batsman Roy Silva, Davion Davidson and Jaskaran Malhotra. Silva and Davidson were both part of USA training squads at trials held in Texas earlier this year but did not make the final cut for the 14-man squad taken to Uganda for Division Three.Former Sri Lankan first-class batsman Roy Silva also has the opportunity to make his USA debut•Peter Della Penna

Malhotra, 28, has been on the selection radar due to his high scores in private T20 tournaments held around the country but, like Silva, had not completed the ICC’s four-year residency requirement until recently. The maximum of two four-year resident non-citizen players in a playing XI for ICC tournaments has been relaxed for these games against the CPL teams, which has opened the door for not just Silva, Davidson and Malhotra but also Nisarg Patel and Camilus Alexander to all appear in the same squad.Former USA Under-19 allrounder Nisarg is yet to make his USA senior debut but played for USA against a CPL Invitational XI last year in Lauderhill. The same goes for offspinner Usman Rafiq, also included in this squad.Of the team that went to Uganda, only six players were retained for the two CPL games. Along with Alexander, the others kept in are opener Fahad Babar, who sat on the bench all tournament with a hand injury, allrounder Mrunal Patel and bowlers Elmore Hutchinson, Jessy Singh and Nosthush Kenjige.Apart from Ghous, the two other players who have been recalled are hard-hitting batsman Abdullah Syed and allrounder Japen Patel. Syed was dropped after a run of low scores during USA’s Division Four winning run last year in Los Angeles while Japen has not played for USA since the 2015 World T20 Qualifier.The two games for USA are part of a series of development initiatives organised by the CPL in Florida ahead of twin double-headers on August 5 and 6. The CPL is also working with the ICC Americas staff to run training seminars for USA-based coaches and umpires during the week.”The Hero CPL is firmly committed to spreading the game of cricket in the USA and these matches are just another example of this,” Damien O’Donohoe, CPL chief executive, said. “We see so much potential for growth of cricket in the USA and we want to make sure we are doing all we can to help that cause.”

Rory Kleinveldt claimed 5 for 50 as Sussex were forced to follow on by Northants at Wantage Road

Vithushan Ehantharajah at Wantage Road06-Sep-2017Sussex 172 (Kleinveldt 5-50) and 34 for 1 (Robson 10*) trail Northamptonshire 426 (Duckett 193) by 220 runs
They don’t do boring at the County Ground and day two was no different, as 16 wickets fell to rush this game along at such a rate that Northamptonshire, not for the first time this season, might have to find something else to do on day four. Not that they’ll mind: Sussex, following on, trail them by 220 runs, skittled out for 172 in the first innings after the hosts put on 426 in theirs.While it was a collective effort from all in maroon caps who took the ball, it was Rory Kleinveldt’s 5 for 50 – his first five-wicket haul of the season – that stands out as much on paper as it did on the pitch. Amid countless plays and misses, he was able to take six wickets across two sessions – he also nabbed the first wicket to fall in Sussex’s second innings – to leave Sussex skipper Ben Brown cursing two poor days in a row.It is easy to sneer at Northamptonshire and Kleinveldt. They know that, too, hence presenting themselves as the vanguard of English cricket: forever raging against the scoffing that unfairly comes their way. If it was up to some of the players, “Big Bellies, Big Sixes” would adorn the gates at the entrance of Wantage Road. There is a pride in the way they play their cricket here that others should heed.Kleinveldt personifies that approach. Where a strength-and-conditioning coach may see a lost cause, Alex Wakely sees a bowler whom he can call upon for 10 overs up top with the new ball. His trusted seamer did what Sussex didn’t: persist with a line that asked the batsmen to stay honest. Eventually he convinced Angus Robson to push at a ball he had left many times before and play onto his own stumps.The 27-over gap between his first and second spell were not spent hiding in the field: a settled cordon of Ben Duckett, Wakely and Richard Levi meant he was fielding in the ring as Northants fought to defend every run. His final 5.4-over burst was the telling contribution, as Sussex’s tail of more-than-capable allrounders was snuffed out with Kleinveldt taking four of them for just 15 runs. After a quick break, his four overs to start the follow-on innings saw him nab Luke Wells, too.It is worth noting that Sussex’s first-innings scorecard was more reflective of the bowling than the pitch, which encouraged and rewarded shotmaking throughout. Even as wickets tumbled, players were able to drive for boundaries. Jofra Archer even managed to take Simon Kerrigan downtown for back-to-back sixes. The scorecard doesn’t lie and the story it tells an accurate story: all of the top five got starts that should have been converted.The opening hour and a half was an extension of day one. Archer and Chris Jordan were wayward with the ball allowing Northamptonshire to tick along at around four an over. Ollie Robinson and David Wiese picked up their slack to finish with four and three wickets respectively.Josh Cobb, beginning his innings at the start of play, helped the hosts breeze past 350 for only the second time this season with a handful of shots he usually saves for the white ball. Danny Briggs was chipped down the ground for four and then Cobb set his sights on Wiese, skewing a few boundaries before hitting him out of the ground over square leg.Meanwhile, Luke Procter, on loan from Lancashire, played a more sedate hand, bringing up his first Championship fifty of the season from 94 balls.Procter was singled out for praise by Duckett at the end of day one, who found time when talking about his 193 from 200 balls to laud a nuggety left-hander who dug deep to stumps so that he could recommence today with Northants on 329 for 5. It is no coincidence they passed 400 and achieved full batting points for the first time this season. They have been crying out for someone to act as the glue in the middle order and Procter’s turn was Oscar-worthy. His dismissal underlined that.When he edged Robinson to second slip for 57 from 116 balls, it set about a collapse that went on to read 5 for 25, as Northants were bowled out for 426.Sussex started well, with a breezy opening stand of 46 from Robson and Luke Wells, built upon by Stiaan van Zyl and Chris Nash, at three and four respectively. Nash was bright and breezy, van Zyl skittish and streaky, but the team hundred was brought up with the pair’s fifty partnership. But 101 for 2 was as good as it got for the visitors.Nash nicked Azharullah behind for the bowler’s second wicket before Kerrigan, another Lancashire loanee, produced an inspired spell after tea. Who knows what his future might hold and whether it is still at Old Trafford, but his two dismissals in the evening session will have turned a few important heads here. He ripped one from well outside off stump and through a driving van Zyl to knock out leg stump. Then, he drifted one into Jordan and then spun it away sharply from the right-hander to take his edge through to Levi, completing a smart chance to his left.Kleinveldt then returned from the Wantage Road end to polish off the tail, taking a sharp caught-and-bowled chance from Robinson then bowling Wiese and Briggs to leave Sussex 254 behind. The collapse was a dismal eight for 71.By stumps, 34 of those runs were chalked off, with Wells falling for his second misjudged in the same session. Tonight, he and the rest of his team-mates will rue a promotion charge starting to run out of puff.

Sunderland are in preparations for next season in the Championship which kicks off next Sunday in their opener against newly-promoted Ipswich Town at the Stadium of Light.

The Black Cats have had an active transfer window so far with Jenson Seelt, Luis Semedo, Jobe Bellingham and Bradley Dack joining the club this summer in their pursuit to push for a Premier League return over their 46-game campaign ahead.

Tony Mowbray led his team to a sixth-place finish in their first season back in the second tier, qualifying for a spot in the play-offs, but had their top-flight return dreams rapidly crushed after losing 2-0 to Luton Town at Kenilworth Road, the club that went on to be victorious in the battle for the final Premier League spot.

Now the Sunderland boss will be wanting to build upon those high standards set last season and there will be a huge expectation for the North East club to compete for automatic promotion, something that will be no easy task with Leeds United, Southampton and Leicester City joining the battle.

Will Sunderland sign more players?

Despite signing former Blackburn Rovers ace, Dack, just a few days ago there is certainly still plenty of opportunity for Sunderland to strengthen key areas of their squad to give them their best chance to compete comfortably.

It has been reported by TEAMtalk that the club are currently struggling to hold onto goal-machine Ross Stewart, with the player refusing to commit his future by signing a new contract on numerous occasions and attracting interest from a number of clubs.

However, it has also been claimed by journalist Alan Nixon this week that Sunderland are eyeing up a loan move for Everton striker Tom Cannon, a talented young prospect who could follow in the footsteps of fellow Premier League club academy graduate, Amad Diallo.

Who is Tom Cannon?

The 20-year-old centre-forward is a product of Everton's youth academy, where he has risen through the ranks to become a well-rounded and prolific goal-scorer.

For the Merseyside club's U18s and U21s, Cannon scored 51 goals and registered 14 assists, earning the opportunity to breakthrough into first team football when he joined Preston North End on a six-month loan last season.

Over 20 Championship appearances, the Irishman – hailed a "bright spark" by journalist Tom Sandells – scored eight goals, registered one assist and created four big chances, as well as averaging 2.3 shots on goal and 1.1 successful dribbles per game, demonstrating the explosive impact he made on his team.

Preston manager Ryan Lowe spoke out about Cannon's influence during his short-stint at the club, full of compliments for the young goalscorer:

"He’s been a breath of fresh air,"

"He has been excellent. I watched Tom a few times for Everton Under-21s and I thought to myself ‘he has definitely got an eye for goal’."

Sunderland have had recent success from dipping into Premier League academies to loan attacking talent, with Manchester United's Diallo becoming a stand-out performer for the club during his loan spell at the Stadium of Light; scoring 13 goals, registering three assists and creating four big chances over 37 appearances.

With that being said, Mowbray could now repeat Sunderland's Diallo masterclass this summer by snapping up the services of Cannon and if he could continue his strong development, he could be a hugely valuable asset to the club.