Kristjaan Speakman has refused to say whether Sunderland have received any bids for Ross Stewart - but insists the Scot 'would like to stay'. Stewart's future has been up in the air for 12 months with the club so far unable to agree a new contract with their star striker.
Conversations between the club and Stewart's representatives began last summer after his goals powered the club to promotion from League One, and with Scottish giants Glasgow Rangers expressing interest in him at that time. Injuries severely disrupted his first year in the Championship, with the 26-year-old available for little more than a quarter of the campaign yet he still scored ten goals in just 13 league appearances before his season was cut short by a ruptured Achilles tendon in January and he will not be fit when the new season begins next month.
Stewart's original contract was due to expire this summer but, with no new deal agreed, the club exercised its option to extend his stay for a further 12 months although that has merely kicked the can down the road. As far as bids for Stewart are concerned, sporting director Speakman is playing his cards close to his chest although he clearly feels that the message he is getting from the player's camp is that he is happy to stay with Sunderland - if a contract that suits all parties can be agreed.
"We're not getting into whether we've had bids," Speakman told The Athletic. "That's our private business.
"The situation is no different to where we have been: we are really keen to retain Ross and everything from his camp is that he'd like to stay.
"But we haven't got to an agreement that both parties would like to sign off. Externally that can seem strange, but we don’t think it is - Dennis Cirkin re-signed last week and we have been speaking to him about his contract for maybe six months."
Sunderland have already brought in another striker this summer in the shape of Portuguese teenager Luis Hemir Semedo, and head coach Tony Mowbray said this week that another frontman is still required because Stewart will not be ready when the season begins.
