Kristjaan Speakman linked with double transfer raid as Sunderland eye Rangers starlet & Regis Le Bris reunion
All of the latest Sunderland-related transfer news and speculation
Sunderland are one of several clubs from across the English footballing pyramid to have cast an eye over Rangers wonderkid Bailey Rice amid ongoing uncertainty about his future in Glasgow, according to reports.
The Black Cats have made a habit of signing and developing young talent in recent years, and built last season’s promotion to the Premier League via the Championship play-offs on a recruitment model that prioritised youth and potential.
Even this term, having made the step up to the top flight and with a busy summer transfer window behind them, Regis Le Bris has shown plenty of trust in those relatively inexperienced members of his squad, with only Chelsea boasting a lower average squad age than Sunderland.
And as per the Daily Mail, the Black Cats could be tempted to add another emerging teenage starlet to their ranks sooner rather than later. Rice, now 19, previously set the record as Rangers’ youngest post-war player, aged 16 years and 137 days, when he made his debut against Livingston in 2023. Since then, he has found himself frequently included in match day squads, but at the time of writing, has made just two senior appearances for the Gers this term.
As things stand, however, his contract at Ibrox is rapidly running down, and as such, he could be available to negotiate a pre-contract agreement in the new year ahead of a prospective free transfer at the end of the campaign. To that end, the Mail claim that Sunderland are monitoring his situation, as are Premier Leaguer rivals Aston Villa and Championship outfits West Brom and Cardiff City.
It is also suggested that Rice - who tends to operate in a deep-lying role - attracted prior interest from the likes of Manchester City and Brighton while he was on the books at Motherwell earlier in his career.
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Sunderland eye Arthur Avom Ebong
Elsewhere, Sunderland are also said to be keeping tabs on FC Lorient midfielder Arthur Avom Ebong, according to an update from online outlet Africa Foot. The 20-year-old signed for the French club at the beginning of Regis Le Bris’ final season in the dugout, and has since gone on to establish himself as a key presence in Brittany.
So far this season, he has made 14 appearances in Ligue 1, and has also been capped eight times at senior international level by Cameroon. But as per this latest report, he could be on the move in January, with both the Black Cats and RC Strasbourg weighing up potential swoops, alongside a series of other unnamed suitors.
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