Sunderland Pursue Jack Grealish Loan Deal as Rebuild Accelerates

Sunderland are making a bold late move for Manchester City winger Jack Grealish as they scramble to add firepower out wide before the window closes.

The Black Cats want the 30-year-old on loan, with Grealish now into the final year of his City contract, but a permanent transfer is also on the table as the club weigh up how aggressively to reshape their attack.

Grealish spent last season on loan at Everton, who are still keen to bring him back. Despite that, Sunderland have stepped into the race and are testing City’s resolve at a time when Enzo Maresca’s options in the wide areas have thinned dramatically.

Grealish has been limited to substitute appearances so far this season, coming off the bench in the Community Shield defeat to Arsenal and again in City’s Premier League opener against Bournemouth. His role has shrunk just as Sunderland’s need has grown.

City stretched out wide

City’s depth on the flanks has taken a hit. Savio and Omar Marmoush have both been sold to Tottenham — Savio has already completed his move, while Marmoush is in the final stages of his switch — leaving Maresca short of natural wide forwards.

A calf injury to Jeremy Doku has tightened the squeeze. The Belgian is expected to miss two to three weeks, stripping City of another key option in the short term.

City are closing in on 22-year-old Brazilian Allan from Palmeiras as a replacement for Savio, but the deal is not yet done. They are also looking at Cody Gakpo at Liverpool as they consider further attacking reinforcements.

Right now, Maresca has only Antoine Semenyo and Grealish as senior, out-and-out wingers. Phil Foden and Rayan Cherki can operate wide but are often used centrally, adding another layer of complexity to any decision on Grealish’s future.

Sunderland’s winger hunt: Paixao and Catamo on radar

Grealish is not the only wide player on Sunderland’s list.

Regis Le Bris’ side are also working on a deal for Igor Paixao from Marseille. Sunderland have already submitted a bid for the Brazilian this week, underlining how urgently they want a winger through the door. Leeds tried to sign Paixao last summer before he opted for Marseille, but the French club now need to raise funds and are open to talks.

Negotiations are ongoing, with Sunderland’s hierarchy clear that recruiting a winger is the priority.

They have also spent weeks in discussions with Sporting Lisbon over Mozambique international Geny Catamo. The 23-year-old carries a £51.4m release clause at the Portuguese club, a figure that underlines both his value to Sporting and the scale of the decision Sunderland face if they are to push that far.

Busy summer at the Stadium of Light

The Grealish pursuit comes at the end of a window in which Sunderland have already reshaped significant parts of the squad.

Arrivals:

• Dayann Methalie from Toulouse for £25.7m
• Jules Ahoka from Royal Antwerp for £8m
• Thomas Meunier from Lille on a free transfer
• Ethan Berry from Crystal Palace on a free
• Adam Nelson from Glentoran on a free

Departures:

• Eleizer Mayenda to Rennes for £22m
• Anthony Patterson to Wrexham for £10m
• Ahmed Abdullahi to Eyupspor, undisclosed
• Harrison Jones to Peterborough, undisclosed
• Zak Johnson to York, undisclosed
• Nazariy Rusyn to Karpaty Lviv, undisclosed
• Timothee Pembele to Le Havre, undisclosed
• Dennis Cirkin to QPR on a free
• Oliver Bainbridge to Boreham Wood on a free
• Tom Lavery to Gateshead on a free
• Dan Neil to Rangers on a free
• Rhys Walsh to Glentoran on a free
• Milan Aleksic to Partizan Belgrade on loan
• Matty Young to Huddersfield on loan
• Bertrand Traore released
• Niall Huggins released

The squad has been turned over. The wide positions are the final major piece.

If Sunderland can prise Grealish from City while landing one of Paixao or Catamo, Le Bris will walk into the autumn with a very different set of weapons on the flanks — and a statement that the club intend to attack this season, not just survive it.