Sunderland are 'braced' for interest in winger Roberts
Sunderland are 'braced' for interest in attacking midfielder Patrick Roberts, according to national reports.
The Sun's Alan Nixon has claimed that interest in Roberts could be forthcoming after the forward’s superb season in the Championship alongside partner-in-crime Amad Diallo.
Nixon also recently claimed that Sunderland may sell at least a couple of their key men as they bid to build on this season's success and go one better than their play-off semi-final loss next campaign.
As well as Roberts, Sunderland stars Jack Clarke and Anthony Patterson have been linked with Premier League clubs in recent weeks.
Patterson, who started all of Sunderland's 46 league games and the two playoff semi-final matches, has been mentioned with Leicester City.
And Clarke's name has been linked to both Brentford and Crystal Palace after the former Leeds United and Tottenham winger chipped in with a whopping 23 goal contributions in all competitions.
Meanwhile, Sunderland have been linked with an international attacker, but face competition from Club Brugge and other European clubs, according to foreign reports.
Dutch website Voetbal
nieuws claims that Club Brugge have set their sights on 20-year-old forward Alexander Aravena with Sunderland also interested.
That is a 20-year-old Chilean attacker, who has one cap for his country, currently plays CD Universidad Catolica and has impressed this season, netting three goals and three assists in 14 games.
The Dutch report also states Aravena has also attracted the interest of AZ, Sunderland and Granada following his decent form over the past campaign.
Sunderland are also said to e making progress on their ambitious bid to bring Birmingham City youngster Jobe Bellingham to the club.
Bellingham, younger brother of Borussia Dortmund and England star Jude, was in attendance for the first leg of Sunderland's play-off semi-final against Luton Town at the Stadium of Light.
*Ex-Sunderland man Bali Mumba was back in the North East this past weekend - and was pictured alongside former team-mate and current Black Cat Dan Neil.
Mumba, once a promising player in Sunderland's academy, moved to Carrow Road to join Norwich in the summer of 2020 in what was a bitter disappointment for many Black Cats fans under the ownership of Stewart Donald and Charlie Methven.
Loans at Peterborough United and Plymouth Argyle have followed with Mumba winning promotion from League One with the Pilgrims alongside Sunderland loanee Jay Matete this season following relegation from the Championship with Posh last campaign.
However, Mumba was back in the North East on Saturday night as a special guest at Hebburn Town FC for the non-league club's awards night alongside Sunderland midfielder Neil with the pair hoping to inspire the next generation.
Both Mumba, 21, and Neil, 21 started their footballing careers with the Hornets before joining Sunderland's academy set-up as youngsters.