Sunderland look set to confirm what will be their second player exit of the January transfer window. One of their players is reportedly flying out to seal his move now.
So far in this January transfer window, Sunderland have signed one player and let one go. Aaron Connolly joined Millwall following an unsuccessful half-season at the Stadium of Light, whilst Enzo Le Fee has joined on loan from Roma.
It’s good business so far, but Connolly’s exit has opened up a gap in attack which Kristjaan Speakman certainly needs to fill before deadline day. Links to several strikers suggest he’s working on that.
But Speakman will also be looking at who he can move on. Not every Sunderland player is getting game time right now: In fact, there’s a fair bit of deadwood in the first-team that could do with shifting.
None fit into that category more so than Nazariy Rusyn. The Ukrainian attacker has really struggled to kick on following his 2023 move from Zorya, which cost Kyril Louis-Dreyfus a reported £2.5million.
Nazariy Rusyn close to sealing Hadjuk Split loan move
On Wednesday, it was revealed that Rusyn was close to leaving Sunderland. His exit was widely expected during this January transfer window, but rather unexpectedly, Rusyn turned down a loan move to Aberdeen in the Scottish Premiership.
Now though, reports coming out of Croatia say that the 26-year-old is close to joining Hadjuk Split on loan, with an option to buy during the summer. Dalmatinski Portal report that Rusyn is ‘close’ to join Hadjuk whilst Ukrainian outlet Zorya Lodonsk has provided more detail.
They report that Rusyn is flying out to Croatia to complete his medical and sign the paperwork on Friday.
Kristjaan Speakman’s summer call on Nazariy Rusyn was all wrong
Rusyn looked nailed on to leave Sunderland during the summer transfer window. But he stayed because of the exit of Jack Clarke, or so it seemed at the time.
When he left, it was revealed that Sunderland wouldn’t replace Clarke and would instead rely on their existing options to step up and fill the void, Rusyn included.
But he’s been shoved down the pecking order by the likes of Romaine Mundle and Tommy Watson, and even Adil Aouchiche who, like Rusyn, has been tipped to leave Sunderland.
For Rusyn, a fresh and exciting chapter lies ahead. He’s only on loan and so there’s still slight chance that he has a future at Sunderland. Though it seems very unlikely that he’ll play for the club again, especially if Sunderland are promoted in 2024/25.