Leicester City boss Ruud van Nistelrooy delivers Tom Cannon recall update amid Sunderland transfer interest
Sunderland have been linked with Tom Cannon in recent days.
Leicester City manager Ruud van Nistelrooy has admitted that there are “decisions to be made” over the future of loanee striker Tom Cannon amid reported transfer interest from Sunderland.
The forward is currently on loan with Championship outfit Stoke City, and has scored 11 goals in 25 outings across all competitions, including a penalty at the Stadium of Light in Saturday’s FA Cup third round victory for the Potters.
In the days since, the 22-year-old has been touted as a target for Sunderland, as well as second tier rivals Sheffield United, Sheffield Wednesday, and Luton Town. According to Alan Nixon, the understanding is that the Black Cats would be seeking an initial loan move for Cannon, with an option-to-buy clause attached.
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For that to happen, however, Leicester would first need to recall the player from Stoke - a decision that new boss Van Nistelrooy has hinted could still go either way. Speaking in a press conference on Monday, as quoted by LeicestershireLive, he said: “He’s one on the list for us. We keep a close eye on him. Tom’s situation is closely assessed. There are decisions to be made on that. It’s still a possibility [he stays at Stoke]. But we’re looking at what is best for his situation and what is best for the club.”
Cannon joined Leicester from boyhood club Everton in 2023, but has barely featured for the Foxes in the period since. At the time of writing, he has made just 16 appearances at the King Power Stadium, scoring three goals in the process. While at Everton, he also spent a loan spell with Preston North End, registering eight strikes in 21 outings.
Over the weekend, it was confirmed that Stoke had made the decision to recall teenage striker Nathan Lowe from a loan spell at Walsall, during which he scored 18 goals and assisted seven more for the League Two leaders. At this stage, it is unclear as to whether his return to the bet365 Stadium has been influenced at all by the uncertainty surrounding Cannon’s future.