McGeady interest to hot up next week

Phil Parkinson believes firm interest in Aiden McGeady will ramp up towards the end of the January transfer window.

McGeady, who has 18 months left to run on his Sunderland contract, has been told he is not part of Parkinson’s plans and hasn’t featured since the end of November.

The winger has been training with the Under-23 squad at the Academy of Light.

McGeady is not part of the first-team environment, with Parkinson aiming to improve the culture around the squad.

There were initially some tentative enquiries from abroad but that has not been firmed up.

Asked for an update on McGeady’s situation, Parkinson said: “There is nothing at the moment but hopefully that will pick up a bit of pace at the end of next week."

The transfer window closes on Friday, January 31 at 11pm.

Sunderland remain confident he will leave this window, although whether that is on loan or a permanent deal remains to be seen.

Meanwhile, former Sunderland midfielder Darron Gibson is currently training with League Two side Salford City - as he looks to kick-start his faltering career.

The 32-year-old was released by Wigan Athletic in the summer and is yet to find a new club.

And while he has been handed the chance to train with the Ammies – who are currently perched in mid-table in their first season in the EFL – the Manchester Evening News claim that Graham Alexander has no plans to offer the midfielder a contract.

Gibson was signed for the Black Cats by David Moyes in 2017, but was released a year later in the club’s ill-fated Championship campaign.

He then spent just a season with Wigan before being released alongside ex-Sunderland teammates Callum McManaman and James Vaughan.

Meanwhile, Shrewsbury Town are the latest side to be credited with an interest in Sunderland striker Will Grigg.

The Northern Irish international is out of favour at the Stadium of Light and was dropped from Phil Parkinson’s squad for the trip to MK Dons last weekend.