Sunderland have turned their attention away from Tom Cannon.
The Liverpool Echo have reported that the Black Cats have quickly ended their pursuit of the striker as they believe he is ‘out of their pay structure’ and they don’t have the budget to meet Everton’s demands.
Cannon had attracted interest from Sunderland after netting an impressive eight goals for Preston North End in the second half of last season.
The Sun’s Alan Nixon reported earlier this week that Tony Mowbray’s side were preparing a £3 million bid for his signature, however it now looks like they are exploring more affordable options.
Sunderland already failed in their pursuit of Cannon’s former teammate, Ellis Simms, who was sold to Coventry City for an initial £3.5 million rising to £8m last week.
It’s unclear how much the Premier League club would demand for Cannon, though it appears to be out of the Black Cats’ limited budget.
The forward was said to be nearing a spot in Everton’s first team next season, while he had come under plenty of praise for his time at Deepdale.
Speaking on the 20-year-old in April, Preston and former Everton midfielder Ryan Ledson said: “Tom Cannon has been absolutely brilliant.
“He’s a credit to himself and Everton. Since the second he’s come through the door he’s worked hard, got his head down and he’s a nice kid.
“He’s 20 years of age, has the world at his feet and all he needs to do is focus on himself and scoring goals because he can go wherever he wants to be.”
Tom Cannon would have been the perfect signing for Sunderland
While relatively unknown by many fans, Tom Cannon would have been the perfect alternative to the failed Ellis Simms move for Sunderland.
The striker enjoyed a similar spell at Preston North End, netting eight goals and putting on some very impressive displays in the Championship in a very brief stint at the club.
The Lilywhites quickly fell in love with the loanee and he looks to be a very promising signing for anyone that can land him.
However, if Sunderland weren’t willing to spend big on Simms then why would they do the same for Cannon?