Sunderland AFC news: Ross Stewart 'closing in' on new deal amid Celtic and Rangers interest - reports

The Black Cats have been in talks with Stewart over fresh terms for some time but an agreement has not yet been reached with the Scot’s contract ending at the end of next season.

A host of clubs have been linked with the 26-year-old, who has scored 10 Championship goals in 13 appearances this campaign before suffering a campaign-ending injury, including Celtic, Swansea City, Middlesbrough, Rangers, Crystal Palace and Brentford.

However, a report from The Mirror has claimed that Sunderland and Stewart are now edging closer to an agreement with recent talk from Football League World also speculating that Stewart would become the club’s highest-paid player should he sign a new contract.

Speaking back in January, Sunderland’s sporting director Kristjaan Speakman said: "Firstly it’s important to say that we’re really dedicated and being proactive to try and get Ross to sign a new contract, everyone is geared up to make that happen and feel that’s the right outcome,” Speakman said.

"If you look on the pitch, his performances and his desire to get back from injury show that he’s 100% committed to Sunderland. At the present time that’s where negotiations sit and I don’t think that’s anything that should worry supporters.

"I’d like to think that our track record since we’ve been at the club is something that the fans can trust, at the present time we’ve got talented players contracted for a substantial period of time that fully protects the club. There’s one or two players that are coming towards the end of their natural contract this summer and they’ve got certain clauses in there that mean they roll over into the next year.

"From our perspective, we feel really comfortable with our position but we also want to try and make sure that when we have high-profile players like Ross, we tie them down for the appropriate amount of time.”

The Black Cats are next in action against Norwich City at Carrow Road this coming Sunday in the Championship with Mowbray’s men searching for a first win after failing to win their last four fixtures in the league. Kick-off for the clash is at 12:00pm in Norfolk.