What Tony Mowbray told Sunderland transfer target once tipped to join Newcastle United for £20m last month

Black Cats head coach Tony Mowbray is apparently keen on a deal for the 28-year-old Englishman after the pair worked together at Ewood Park.

Dack started his youth career at Charlton Athletic before moving on to Corinthian and then Gillingham, where he made 185 appearances across all competitions, netting 38 goals.

In 2017, Dack joined Blackburn Rovers on a three-year-deal for a fee of £750,000 plus add-ons and was brought to the club by Mowbray. The duo then won promotion to the Championship in their first season together with Dack scoring 18 times

At the end of that season, Dack was heavily linked with a big-money move away from Ewood Park, with Newcastle thought to be interested at the time.

When asked if the Magpies should sign him, pundit Paul Merson said back in 2017: “All day long. 100 percent, he’s a good player. He won’t shy away – if you want to play for Newcastle you can’t shy away.

“He has good movement, he scores goals – that’s exactly what Newcastle need. That ticks every box, even if it’s £20million.”

Mowbray was spotted talking to Dack and other Blackburn Rovers players after Sunderland’s 2-0 loss at Ewood Park earlier this season, with Mowbray letting slip what he told his former player post-match.

"I am not here so I don't know where he is fitness-wise but I had a long chat with him in the corridor," Mowbray told Lancs Live. "He looks really lean to me. He looks slim and ready. He tells me his physical data is the best it has ever been, better than before he got his injuries.

"I don't know what is going on, what I do know is he was probably the best player in the Championship two years ago. You don't lose the talent but the manager at this football club has those decisions to make and they are doing very well.

"I would never sit here and criticise any manager for their decisions, I have difficult decisions to make. But Bradley Dack, what a footballer, what a player but I haven't seen him since he recovered from his cruciate injuries other than playing him every 15 minutes to get his fitness up."