Sunderland are facing a battle to retain the services of highly-rated former youth international Dan Neil, who could become the next quality young player to leave the Stadium of Light.
Newcastle United and Wolves both hold interest in the 18-year-old, while Scottish champions Celtic are also tracking the teenager - who would be available for a minimal fee on training compensation. Other reports have also credited Leeds United as suitors.
The Black Cats have lost a notable number of young players recently, including Sam Greenwood to Arsenal and Luca Stephenson to Liverpool, with Logan Pye and Joe Hugill both being lost to Manchester United.
Neil has yet to play for Sunderland’s first-team but was a regular in the U23 set-up prior to the curtailment of the season in March, playing 29 matches at that level after his regular goalscoring exploits from midfield in the U18 side.
While Sunderland’s academy continues to churn out top-quality youngsters, the Black Cats have encountered a serious problem in retaining those players and have lost many before they could help the club in their push for stability following a significant drop in recent seasons.
With interest in Neil high, Sunderland face another uphill battle to retain Neil’s services and the six-figure compensation fee that would be received if he were to depart would potentially be far lower than the player’s true value in the coming years.
