While speaking on The Roar podcast, journalist James Copley has claimed Sunderland star Ross Stewart could depart in January.
Stewart has been on fire for Sunderland since the start of last season having netted 26 times in League One and now has 8 in 10 appearances for the Black Cats during his debut Championship campaign.
His form certainly hasn’t gone unnoticed with both Middlesbrough and Glasgow giants Rangers said to hold an interest in the striker, although they would have to cough up a huge fee of around £10 million, according to reports.
Despite this price tag, Copley still isn’t 100% convinced that Stewart will still be a Sunderland player come February 1st.
Will Stewart leave next month?
Yes!
No!
He said: (28:45) “It is a possibility that Ross Stewart could leave Sunderland in the January window. I don’t think he would, but that’s certainly one to keep an eye on as well.”
TIF Thoughts on Stewart’s future…
It would likely take a club to stump up pretty much the entire £10 million upfront for Sunderland to even consider losing the man that’s been their main source of goals for a season and a half now so they could sufficiently replace him.
While the Black Cats do indeed have Ellis Simms waiting in the wings, and he did a good job while Stewart was absent, his goal record simply isn’t anywhere near the Scotland international’s with Simms boasting just 7 goals in 17 appearances this season.
Therefore, Sunderland will very likely be rejecting all approaches for Stewart unless a crazy offer comes in that they can’t refuse as it would allow Tony Mowbray to improve his whole squad for the second half of the season.