SUNDERLAND will complete a transfer double within the next 24 hours – with Jason Steele set to join Lewis Grabban in completing a medical at the Academy of Light.
As reported in the Northern Echo earlier this week, Sunderland have been pushing hard to sign Steele from Blackburn Rovers.
The former Middlesbrough trainee had entered the final year of his contract at Ewood Park, and an agreement was reached this morning for his permanent transfer to Wearside.
Sunderland are set to pay around £500,000 for Steele, who made 142 senior appearances for Boro prior to joining Blackburn in 2014.
The Newton Aycliffe-born 26-year-old was Blackburn’s established number one last season, and is expected to become Simon Grayson’s first-choice goalkeeper at the Stadium of Light next season.
Jason Pickford and Vito Mannone have both left Sunderland since the end of last term, although Grayson is still considering offering trialist Robbin Ruiter a 12-month contract.
LOAN MOVE: Lewis Grabban
Grabban’s season-long loan move from Bournemouth was agreed yesterday, and should be formally confirmed later this afternoon.
Grabban spent the second half of last season on loan at Reading, and will bolster a Sunderland attacking line-up that also features James Vaughan, Josh Maja and Joel Asoro.
The Black Cats remain interested in a season-long loan deal for Ross McCormack, although they face competition from Reading, who have also made a formal approach for the out-of-favour Aston Villa forward.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here