Sunderland player could seal Wearside exit 'today' amid reports he's flying out to complete medical

Sunderland forward Nazariy Rusyn is “close” to joining Croatian outfit Hajduk Split, and is flying out to complete his medical at the club “today”, according to reports.

The Ukrainian attacker has been at the centre of widespread transfer speculation of late, with suggestions earlier in the week that he has already turned down a loan switch to Scottish Premiership side Aberdeen this January. According to Zorya Londonsk, the Dons were “eager and quite close” to signing the 26-year-old, but a deal ultimately fell through after the player himself rejected the move. It is also stated that the attacker is “currently considering other options”.

The Echo has launched a new WhatsApp SAFC Channel to bring the latest news, analysis and team & injury updates direct to your phone. Simply click this link to join our SAFC WhatsApp channel.

And as per Ihor Burbas, as relayed by Zorya Londonsk, one prospective destination for Rusyn could be Croatia. As of Thursday, it was understood that talks were “currently ongoing” between Sunderland and Hajduk Split over a loan agreement, and that the attacker “could soon join” the 1.HNL title contenders. Split are currently managed by Italian legend Gennaro Gattuso, and up until earlier this month, boasted former Black Cats talent Leon Dajaku amongst their ranks.

Now, however, TaToTake have taken that update one step further by claiming that Rusyn is flying to Croatia today to undergo a medical and complete the necessary paperwork to finalise his departure from Sunderland. It is suggested that the transfer will be an initial loan until the end of season, with an option-to-buy clause attached.

Alongside Split, it was reported earlier this month that Rusyn was also garnering interest from his home country, with Ukrainian side FC LNZ Cherkasy supposedly in “talks” over a prospective transfer at one stage. Cherkasy’s new manager, Roman Hryhorchuk, has previously worked with Rusyn during a shared stint at Chornomorets in 2022. Back in December, it was also reported that both LNZ Cherkasy and Ukrainian rivals FC Metalist 1925 Kharkiv were keen on offering the player an escape route from his ongoing Wearside limbo.

Rusyn signed for Sunderland from Zorya Lugansk on a four-year contract in 2023. Since putting pen to paper, however, he has failed to establish himself as a first team regular, and has recorded just two goals and an assist across 32 outings in all competitions. His only start of the current campaign came in August’s Carabao Cup defeat at the hands of Preston North End, with the player having largely found himself on the periphery of Regis Le Bris’ plans at the Stadium of Light this season.

Indeed, in terms of league action, he has been limited to just 66 minutes of Championship football spread across eight cameo appearances. It is within this context that speculation surrounding his future in the North East has begun to mount in recent weeks, with Le Bris himself even hinting that an exit could be on the cards.

Speaking in a press conference, the Sunderland head coach said: “It is possible something could happen there. We are having many conversations at the minute about his journey and the options we could find for him. As I have said before, it is very important to combine the two ideas – the purpose of the club and the team, and the purpose of the player.

“Sometimes, some of the players need minutes, and I think, for him, it could be a good opportunity to do something different. I don’t know at the minute whether it will be a loan or a permanent, because it is too early to say.”