Exclusive:Sunderland open contract talks with 35-goal contribution striker amid serious Rangers transfer interest

Sunderland have opened contract talks with young forward Finn Geragusian amid transfer interest from Rangers and several EFL clubs, The Echo understands.

The 18-year-old striker, who can also operate from the right-hand side, is out of contract this summer after signing a two-year scholarship deal with the club two seasons ago. Sunderland are keen to retain the highly-rated attacker and have now made their move, though no final decision has yet been made on his future.

Geragusian is understood to have attracted a raft of interest after another productive campaign at academy level. The Country Durham-born Sunderland supporter has scored 13 goals and registered three assists in 29 appearances across all competitions this season, following on from 12 goals and seven assists in 31 outings during the 2024-25 campaign. That takes his tally over two seasons to 35 goal contributions in 60 games.

The teenager also made his senior Armenia debut earlier this season, qualifying for the country through his father. His progress has been closely monitored, with clubs aware that he could be available this summer should he decide against signing fresh terms on Wearside. Any club looking to sign Geragusian would either need to agree a compensation fee with Sunderland or face a potential tribunal process, given the player’s age and development within the club’s academy system.

Sunderland’s Academy of Light remains one of the strongest youth set-ups in the region, and the club have developed a strong reputation for giving young players a platform. However, the club’s promotion to the Premier League has inevitably changed the immediate first-team picture, with regular senior minutes now even harder to come by given the level of competition in the squad.

That leaves Geragusian with a significant decision to make. One route would see him remain at Sunderland, continue his development within the club and potentially use loan moves as a stepping stone towards the first team. The other would involve moving to a club where the pathway to senior football may appear more straightforward in the short term. Sunderland, though, have made clear their desire to keep the forward, and talks are now underway as they look to secure the future of another promising academy talent.

Geragusian missed the closing stages of Sunderland under-21s’ campaign with a thigh injury, which also ruled him out of the Premier League Cup final defeat to Burnley at the Stadium of Light. It was an unfortunate setback for the 18-year-old, who had been an important figure across both under-18 and under-21 level during another productive academy campaign.

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His absence was also felt on the night as Sunderland created enough chances to win the final, with Milan Aleksic and Ahmed Abdullahi both going close on several occasions. Burnley, though, proved more ruthless and held on to lift the trophy after goals from Elias Clark and Kain McMahon-Brown. Felix Scott’s superb solo effort gave Sunderland late hope, but Graeme Murty’s side could not force the equaliser their pressure deserved as their cup run ended in painful fashion.

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