Sunderland now look set to miss out on a free-agent target to a Premier League club.
Sunderland have done very well to bring in quality players on free transfers this summer, with Ian Poveda, Simon Moore, Alan Browne and Blondy Nna Noukeu all completing moves to Wearside.
The Black Cats are likely to spend their first bit of cash when they finally recruit a striker, with a deal for Alexandre Mendy still very much on the table.
That hasn’t stopped them from looking for further free-agent signings though, with reports claiming they were interested in adding another Ukrainian to their ranks.
- READ MORE: Sunderland ace did himself no favours after Newcastle United U21s caused him ‘a few problems’
Sunderland wanted Chelsea target on trial
According to Ukrainian outlet Football 24, Sunderland were eager to bring goalkeeper Vladislav Krapyvtsov in on trial.
The 19-year-old previously played for the youth team of SK Dnipro-1, but following their exclusion from the Ukrainian Premier League due to financial problems, Krapyvtsov was released as a free-agent.
The Black Cats were keen to bring the shot-stopper in for a week-long trial, but the report suggests that he has turned them down.
Chelsea and Southampton are now pursuing Krapyvstov and it is believed that he is ‘inclined’ to move to London, while he is eager to play in the Premier League.
Sunderland look set to miss out on the teenager, though the report claims it may take some time for his agents to arrange his departure from Ukraine.
Was Blondy Noukeu an alternative to Vladislav Krapyvtsov?
It is unclear when the Wearside outfit were looking to bring Krapyvstov on trial, but it was surely of interest to them before Noukeu’s arrival.
The former Stoke goalie trained with Sunderland over the summer and impressed enough to earn himself an initial two-year deal at the start of the month.
The Championship club made it clear they wanted to bolster their goalkeeping department and Noukeu surely resolved that issue. It would be unusual if they were looking to bring another young player in that position, given Moore’s transfer too.
Sunderland now have both Moore and Anthony Patterson as their senior options, with Noukeu as another back-up. They still have Adam Richardson, Kelechi Chibueze and Dan Cameron in the U21s, while Matty Young is currently out on loan at Salford City.
Regis Le Bris’ side have always had plenty of quality in between their sticks and will be eager to develop the young players from their academy too, rather than bringing in more outside talent.
The Ukrainian is clearly talented given Chelsea’s interest, but they certainly don’t need him anymore.