Transfer gossip: EFL club eye Sunderland's ex-Manchester City talent despite loan agreement

Stockport have again been linked with a move for Sunderland starlet Caden Kelly despite his recent loan extension.

Kelly recently extended his loan stint with Darlington until the end of the season. The 21-year-old initially joined the Quakers back in October, and has made 18 appearances for the non-league outfit, scoring three times in the process.

During the latter stages of the January transfer window, reports emerged suggesting that the attacking midfielder was on the cusp of signing for League One promotion hopefuls Stockport County, but instead extended his loan at Blackwell Meadows until the end of the current campaign.

However, Fresh reports have emerged claiming that Stockport County remain interested in Kelly and that they want to take the Black Cats youngster on trial for a period of time despite his loan commitment to Darlington this campaign.

A report from Alan Nixon states: “Stockport County want a look at Sunderland midfielder Caden Kelly before a move. The Irish starlet could go on an extended trial period with County while also playing on loan at Darlington.”

What else has been said about Caden Kelly?

Addressing Kelly’s extended stay with Darlington, Sunderland academy manager Robin Nicholls said earlier this month: "As Caden continues to find his pathway in football, it is great that Darlington wants to keep him until the end of the season. Senior minutes with Darlo will continue to provide him with a different challenge to the PL2; a competition he has played in for several seasons now. We hope it is a positive second half of the campaign for both Caden and Darlington."

Following his initial move to Darlo last year, Nicholls said: "This opportunity provides Caden with a great chance to experience senior football. After a few seasons in PL2 with our U21s, he will go into a big club at a good level of the football pyramid. We have seen how successful these loans can be and we hope Caden can have a positive experience."

Reflecting on the impact that Kelly has had on his side in recent months, manager Steve Watson said: "After probably finding it hard in the first couple of weeks adjusting to the pace and aggression of the league, since then he has shown great creativity, great technique and scored some very important goals. Hopefully he'll keep improving as well. He has made a very important contribution, and we're delighted that he's coming back on loan."

Who is former Manchester City man Caden Kelly?

Kelly made his first team debut for Sunderland during the 2022-23 season under Alex Neil in the Carabao Cup but has predominantly played for the club’s under-21 team since. The attacker made the bench six times for the first team last season but wasn’t brought on. Kelly was also on the bench for this season’s game against Middlesbrough at the Stadium of Light.

Kelly, formerly of Manchester City, is now enjoying a stint at Darlington, managed by ex-Newcastle United man Watson, in the National League North, following in the footsteps of goalkeeper Matty Young, who enjoyed a successful loan spell at the club last season.

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