Sunderland AFC transfer news: Back Cats could suffer transfer blow as Sheffield United eye highly-rated defender

Talk today has centred around Sunderland's Wolves loanee defender Dion Sanderson and a potential move to the Premier League’s bottom club Sheffield United.

Football Insider states that the Blades have set their sights on the centre-back after an impressive loan stint at the Stadium of Light so far this season.

Indeed, Sheffield United’s manager Chris Wilder is said to be have been alerted to the 21-year-old’s performances and now keeping a close eye on him, with a potential deal on the cards this summer.

The report also claims that the Premier League club’s scouts watched Sanderson in action in Sunderland’s recent 2-1 defeat to Shrewsbury Town.

Black Cats head coach Lee Johnson has stated the club would be interested in signing Wolves on a permanent deal in the summer but only as long as he became available for transfer.

Johnson was also quick to praise Sanderson following Sunderland’s 2-2 draw with Crew Alexandra on Saturday afternoon at Gresty Road.

"He's a centre-half and at his age level, he is an absolute Rolls-Royce.

"Obviously he is stepping up to men's football and when you do that you come up against different challenges, as Dion did yesterday and he came through that.

"In the Championship when he was on loan at Cardiff he played at right-back, which suited the style they were playing at that point, quite a direct style, when he had Sean Morrison next to him.”

Sanderson is out of contract at the end of next season and his only sole appearance for Wolves to date has come in the EFL Trophy.