SUNDERLAND will open talks with Premier League side Everton this week over the possibility of bringing back striker Nathan Broadhead.

The 24-year-old has spent the last season on loan with the Black Cats where he scored 13 goals in 27 appearances despite the fact he was hampered by numerous injury problems.

The Black Cats hope their chances of bringing back Broadhead have been boosted by their recent promotion to the Championship coupled with the Toffees survival in the Premier League.

The Black Cats Sporting Director Kristjaan Speakman said: "We will have a conversation with Everton this week, to see where they are at with it and where we are at with it, and see if that’s aligned.

"We have to respect the fact that he is an Everton player. We have seen him as our player for the year, because we had to get the best out of him but now that the season is finished he unfortunately goes back to being an Everton player."

Despite spending months at a time on the sideline, the Black Cats hierarchy were impressed by Broadhead's contribution to the campaign and feel he would be good enought to kick on in the second tier as Speakman continued: "Look, he’s had some incredible moments and he’s been an inspiration in many respects in terms of some of the goals he’s scored. It has been harder for him of late because of injury but you can’t take away from the fact that he has got all the attributes to go and play at Championship level."

Broadhead has only featured twice for Everton's first team and would need to dislodge Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Richarlison, Anthony Gordon and Solomon Rondon from Everton's attack to gain first-team football. 

While Sunderland look to bring back Broadhead, the club aren't ruling out fellow loanees such as Manchester City defender Callum Doyle making a return. Bayern Munich goalkeeper Thorben Hoffman and Tottenham Hotspur winger Jack Clarke also had loan spells at the Stadium of Light last season while German winger Leon Dajaku has sealed a permanent move to Wearside following a promotion clause being triggered. 

"We’re really pleased with all our loans, they’ve made an impact at times along the way. We’ll definitely be investigating whether some of those players could come back to us but we have to be respectful of the fact that they are not our players" Speakman added.

"It’s not always easy to turn a loan into a permanent one but if it’s right for everyone, there’s a deal to be done. Generally I do think we will find better availability in the loan market. We found it’s not always easy to get a Premier League player to come to League One.

"We have spent a lot of time investigating who could potentially be available and Stuart (Harvey) has got us in a really strong position with the work he has done already."