CATS FIRE UP GRIGG BID
Sunderland are set to launch an ambitious move for Wigan Athletic striker Will Grigg.
The 27-year-old is proven as one of the best strikers at League One level, top scoring in the division with 25 goals in the 2015/16 season.
He also scored 19 times last season as Wigan Athletic won promotion to the Championship.
Since then, however, he has failed to nail down a regular starting spot.
He has four goals in 18 appearances this season.
His future at the Latics is uncertain, with versatile Cardiff City forward Anthony Pilkington heavily linked with a move.
With 18 months left on his contract, Wigan would require a significant fee to release Grigg but Sunderland hope that they could tempt them to sell.
The move is unrelated to the future of Josh Maja, who has been given time to weigh up his options after a meeting with Chairman Stewart Donald earlier this week.
Meanwhile, Sunderland have completed the loan signing of defender Jimmy Dunne from Burnley until the end of the season.
The 21-year-old centre-back joined Scottish side Hearts on a six-month loan deal at the start of the campaign, and played 12 league games for the SPL club before returning to Turf Moor earlier this month.
After graduating from Manchester United’s academy, Dunne joined
Premier League Burnley in 2016, aged just 18.
Since then the defender has enjoyed a successful loan spell at Barrow and Accrington Stanley, where he helped Jon Coleman’s side win promotion from League Two last campaign.
Dunne also earned his first first call-up for the Republic of Ireland’s Under-21s earlier this year.
Dunne, who will wear shirt number 30, admitted it was an easy decision to join Sunderland given the size of the club, fanbase and scope for him to improve as a player.
“I have had some previous loan experience and wanted to step up and keep developing my game,” said Dunne.
“This is a good place for me to do that.
“Hearts was similar to this club, the fans really get behind their team and I know this club take pride in that. I got a taste of that and the support here is huge.”
Sunderland smashed the League One attendance record on Boxing Day when 46,039 watched the 1-0 win over Bradford City at the Stadium of Light.
Dunne, who knows Donald Love and Reece James from his time at the Manchester United academy, didn’t think twice about joining Sunderland, adding: “It feels like there is not much to think about when there is 46,000 on Boxing Day, it grabs you, it is a massive club.
“I used to come and play here at Academy level, the facilities here and training ground, it was a no-brainer.
“I loved it at Accrington, we went on an amazing journey and finished it by winning the league.
“It is a tremendous club, it was vital to my development. I am pleased to have joined Sunderland and look to develop further and improve my defending further.
“The lads here have been on a good run and winning a lot of games. Long may it continue.
“There are a couple of players here that I grew up watching and will now play with some of them.
“I am hopeful I will get to learn a lot from them and ask questions and learn as much as I can from those experienced pros as possible.”