Transfer news: Alex Neil planning 'cheeky raid' for Sunderland star as Stoke City consider deal - reports

The Black Cats have been in talks with Stewart over fresh terms for some time, but an agreement has not yet been reached with the Scot’s contract ending at the end of next season.

A host of clubs have been linked with the 26-year-old, who has scored 10 Championship goals in 13 appearances this campaign before suffering a campaign-ending injury, including Celtic, Swansea City, Middlesbrough, Rangers, Crystal Palace, Brentford and now Stoke City

A recent report from The Mirror claimed that Sunderland and Stewart were edging closer to an agreement but Alan Nixon of The Sun newspaper has now stated that Stoke City under former Cats boss Neil are interested in Stewart.

Stewart was a key part of Sunderland’s promotion to the Championship under Neil last season before contributing for both Neil and current head coach Tony Mowbray in the second tier this season before picking up an unfortunate season-ending injury recently.

Speaking back in January, Sunderland’s sporting director Kristjaan Speakman said: "Firstly, it’s important to say that we’re really dedicated and being proactive to try and get Ross to sign a new contract, everyone is geared up to make that happen and feel that’s the right outcome.

"If you look on the pitch, his performances and his desire to get back from injury show that he’s 100% committed to Sunderland.

"At the present time that’s where negotiations sit and I don’t think that’s anything that should worry supporters.

"I’d like to think that our track record since we’ve been at the club is something that the fans can trust, at the present time we’ve got talented players contracted for a substantial period of time that fully protects the club.

"There’s one or two players that are coming towards the end of their natural contract this summer and they’ve got certain clauses in there that mean they roll over into the next year.

"From our perspective, we feel really comfortable with our position, but we also want to try and make sure that when we have high-profile players like Ross, we tie them down for the appropriate amount of time.”