Sunderland look set to miss out on Croatian striker Matija Frigan.
Germanijak have reported that Frigan has agreed to join Belgian side Westerlo and is scheduled for a medical, despite interest from the Black Cats.
The 20-year-old finished last season as HNK Rijeka’s top scorer with 13 goals in the Croatian top flight, resulting in Sunderland looking at the forward as a potential back-up to Ross Stewart.
A report from sportske novosti claimed that Sunderland had bid £3.4 million for Frigan last week, however it was turned down and they are yet to go in with a counter offer.
Rangers were previously credited with interest in Frigan back in May and it was reported that Rijeka had placed a £5.2 million price tag on the attacker’s head.
It is unclear whether Westerlo have met their demands, though it looks increasingly likely that he will make the move to Belgium this summer.
Sunderland surely couldn’t have matched the £5.2m fee for Matija Frigan
Sunderland’s £3.4m bid for Matija Frigan came as a surprise, just days after they had refused to cough up the cash to bring Ellis Simms back to Wearside.
While prolific in his native country of Croatia, Frigan is relatively unproven and would have been a huge risk for the Black Cats had they raised their bid for him.
Their failure to submit a second bid for the youngster may well have been related to their lack of funds and it is likely that they have already turned their attention elsewhere as they look to bolster their attack.
Ross Stewart currently remains Sunderland’s number one choice up top, however the Scot is set to miss the start of the Championship season next month.
Luis Hemir Semedo is currently Tony Mowbray’s only other option, with the teenager yet to feature in senior football.