Sunderland have been linked with a move for young Paris St Germain midfielder Edouard Michut - although the Black Cats are just one of a string of clubs from across Europe said to be interested in the teenager. Italy-based journalist Fabrizio Romano said vis social media that Sunderland have entered discussions with the French giants.
Michut, 19, has made six first-team appeances for PSG, including five last season as the club won the Ligue 1 title. But with new boss Christophe Galtier succeeding Mauricio Pochettino over the summer, the France U19 international has not been part of the first team squad so far this term and that has led to talk that PSG would be prepared to let him leave.
Celtic have also been talked of as a possible destination for Michut, although their manager Ange Postecoglu recently said he would not be arriving at Parkhead. He said: "Yeah, good player, but no.
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"I have an interest in every good footballer in the world, but there is a limited market I can tap into."
Whether Michut ends up at Sunderland remains to be seen, but the Black Cats' move for Costa Rican teenager Jewison Bennette is edging ever closer. The 18-year-old winger spoke to reporters in Central America this week as he prepared to travel to Wearside for a medical before completing his move from Herediano.
"Very happy, excited about this new opportunity, I hope to do things well and do my best to move forward," Bennette told ESPN. "It's a new challenge, new goals and I think I'm very excited about it, because of my family who has always supported me and I'm going to give it my all."
Bennette has been capped six times by Costa Rica and is in contention for this winter's World Cup is Qatar, in which his country has been placed in Group E along with Spain, Germany, and Japan. Bennette said he had spoken to Costa Rica boss Luis Fernando Suarez to seek advice about the move to Sunderland.
"I called him and thanked him for all the opportunities he gave me and the appreciation he has given me, the opportunity to put me in important games was vital to be able to fulfill this dream," said Bennette. "I explained to him about the offer and he was very happy and told me that now I had to work twice as hard because back in Europe with the rate here is not enough, I have to work twice as hard."
Given Bennette's age and the disruption of a transatlantic switch, it is not clear whether Bennette would be ready to play an immediate part at first team level. Regardless, with just over a week remaining in the transfer window, Sunderland still have a lot of work to do to bring Alex Neil's squad up to strength with the head coach having said multiple times that he needs more players if the club is to maintain its strong start to the Championship campaign.
Sunderland are reportedly leading the race to sign Brighton's Dutch defender Jan Paul van Hecke on loan. The 22-year-old spent last season on loan at Blackburn Rovers and they were keen to bring him back to Ewood Park, but the Lancashire side now appear to have conceded defeat.
Van Hecke is a Holland U21 international centre-back and is out of contract at the end of the season, although it is thought that Brighton would want to tie him down to a new deal before allowing him to leave on loan.
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