Spanish outlet claims Sunderland bid for Thiago Pitarch - but past reports from the same source raise doubts.

Reports in Spain have claimed that Sunderland have submitted a significant offer to sign a young Real Madrid midfielder - though the reliability of the report is highly questionable.

According to Spanish outlet Fichajes, the Black Cats have made a bid of around €15million - roughly £12.9million - for Real Madrid prospect Thiago Pitarch. The report claims Sunderland are the most determined of several clubs tracking the youngster and believe he could become a key part of their long-term sporting project.

It is suggested that Sunderland have been monitoring Pitarch’s development for a number of weeks before deciding to formalise their interest with a concrete proposal. The alleged offer of around €15million would represent a sizeable investment for a player still taking his first steps in professional football, with the Spanish report claiming Sunderland view the midfielder as a player with significant international potential.

However, the accuracy of the claim is highly doubtful. Fichajes has a track record of publishing speculative transfer stories involving Sunderland that have later proven to be unfounded. The same outlet previously claimed the Black Cats were pursuing Real Madrid forward Endrick last winter and Barcelona midfielder Fermin Lopez - moves that were never realistically on the cards.

As such, while Sunderland continue to explore options as they look to strengthen their squad, reports from this particular outlet should be treated with caution. At this stage, there is no indication from more reliable sources that a move for Pitarch is under serious consideration.

Enzo Le Fèe could make the derby on Sunday

Le Bris confirmed that both Angulo and Le Fée had suffered setbacks in training ahead of the game. The news forced another reshuffle of the Black Cats’ attacking options and added fresh uncertainty heading into next weekend’s Tyne-Wear derby.

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Before the game, Le Bris provided an update on Angulo and Le Fee ahead of the game against Newcastle: “Yeah, they picked up injuries during the training session, which is a shame, but it is what it is. We are more or less in this cycle when it's hard to manage the load, but we still have a strong starting XI, players on the bench to help the squad. It's a bit early, probably for Nilson; it might last four weeks, six weeks, and for Enzo, it might be less. I hope for the derby against Newcastle.”

Le Bris also revealed that Wilson Isidor is managing an injury issue, which is why he wasn’t risked in the closing stages even as Sunderland laboured to get back into the game following Yankuba Minteh’s goal midway through the second half.

“It wasn't possible [to bring Wilson on] because he got an injury,” Le Bris said. “We were really on the edge. We were cautious. We could have pushed him, but it was risky. Rather than taking risks, it was the case for Brian as well. Brian can go all the way, but because we pushed until the end rather than keeping 65-70 minutes because it was the load expected, we can lose another player.

“At the minute, we are struggling a bit. We are just on the edge, but we try our best to keep the team safe. Dan had discomfort with his hamstring, so we hope it isn't too serious. We expect Enzo to be ready for Newcastle; it might be possible. For Nilson, we'll have to wait at least four to six weeks. Reinildo will train with us tomorrow, so that's good news.”

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