MIDDLESBROUGH

MIDDLESBROUGH are in pole position to sign Paddy McNair after Brighton dropped out of the running for the Sunderland midfielder.

Brighton had a £3.5m bid rejected for McNair earlier this summer, and have opted not to increase their offer for the Northern Ireland international.

The Northern Echo:

Sunderland have accepted Boro’s £5m offer for the 23-year-old, and the Teessiders are keen to tie up personal discussions with McNair and his representatives.

They are not guaranteed to complete a deal yet though, with Wolves still pondering whether to match Boro’s bid.

The Championship title winners have identified McNair as a potential summer target, but know they will have to move quickly with Boro hoping to tie up a deal before the weekend.

There is the potential for a busy summer at the Riverside, and French champions Paris St Germain have become the latest club to be linked with a move for Adama Traore.

Traore has already attracted the interest of a number of Premier League clubs this summer, but Arab media outlets claim PSG are targeting the winger as a potential replacement for Angel di Maria and Julian Draxler, who could have to be sold this summer to satisfy Financial Fair Play regulations.


NEWCASTLE

While Newcastle are refusing to give up on their attempts to sign Kenedy, who had a successful loan spell at St James’ Park last season, the Magpies are having to look at alternatives in case they cannot pull off a deal for the Brazilian.

A number of players are currently being assessed, with Club Brugge winger Anthony Limbombe understood to feature on the list of potential acquisitions.

Limbombe scored six goals and claimed six assists in the Belgian top-flight last season, and is expected to be available for around £13m this season.

Huddersfield Town have already lodged an offer with Brugge officials, but Newcastle are set to make a formal inquiry of their own as they look to make their second signing of the summer following the permanent transfer of goalkeeper Martin Dubravka.

Sources in Belgium claim Limbombe would prefer to move to a club in the Bundesliga than the Premier League, but at this stage, he is not being pursued by a German side that would be able to match Newcastle or Huddersfield’s spending power.

Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest remain interested in a move for Magpies outcast Jack Colback, who spent the second half of last season on loan at the City Ground.

The Northern Echo:

Newcastle are keen to sell Colback this summer, as Rafael Benitez wants to free up the former Sunderland trainee’s wages, which are understood to be around £40,000-a-week.


SUNDERLAND

Jack Ross is keen to sign two strikers this summer, and the Sunderland boss is hoping to have made some much-needed headway in the transfer market by the end of the week.

Gavin Reilly has emerged as a viable option, with the forward having announced his departure from St Mirren earlier this week.

The Northern Echo: Gavin Reilly

Reilly worked with Reilly in Paisley last season, with the striker scoring 22 goals as he was named in the Scottish Championship Team of the Year.

Now a free agent, Reilly has previously played with Hearts, Queen of South and Dunfermline, and Ross’ relationship with the 25-year-old should make it relatively easy for Sunderland to tie up a deal if they opt to step up their interest.

Ross’ Scottish contacts mean he has been linked with a number of players from north of the border, and Celtic youngster Calvin Miller is the latest player to have been linked with a potential move to Wearside.

Miller, a 20-year-old Scotland Youth international, made his senior Celtic debut in December 2016 and has made a total of four SPL appearances for the Bhoys.

Celtic are keen to tie him down to a long-term contract before loaning him out for some senior experience, and Sunderland are understood to be interested in a possible season-long deal.