Sunderland are braced to lose Ross Stewart this summer.
That’s according to Sunderland Nation, who have reported that the striker has turned down the Black Cats’ latest contract offer.
Stewart’s sensational goalscoring record in recent seasons has attracted interest from a number of top clubs, with Southampton currently looking the most likely to win the race for his signature.
The Scot’s current deal is set to expire next summer and the club have been eager to tie him down to fresh terms, despite his ongoing injury problem.
Stewart hasn’t featured for Sunderland since January and recent reports have revealed he won’t return to action until late September, meaning he could miss up to ten games of the new season.
Despite Stewart’s injury woes, the Saints remain interested in signing the forward and could benefit from his eagerness to move to the south coast.
It is thought that the 27-year-old currently earns less than £3,000-a-week on Wearside and the club are unable to match the wages offered to him elsewhere.
Sunderland would struggle to fill the void of Ross Stewart but his injury makes it easier to take
Ross Stewart has netted 36 goals in only 62 games over the last couple of seasons and understandably has been hailed as one of Sunderland’s best strikers, while Tony Mowbray has praised the ‘exceptionally good’ player on a number of occasions.
However, their bid to keep the Scotland international at the club is dragging on and fans are beginning to get frustrated.
It will be a surprise of Southampton are willing to fork out for Stewart given his current injury status, but his current absence could make a departure easier to take.
As long as the Black Cats pick up a hefty fee for the striker and invest well with the money, then the Wearside faithful may accept an exit for their star man.