The chances of Jeff Hendrick lining out in the Championship against Newcastle United on September 10 are looking slim.
The Irish midfielder has been subject to
three bids from newly promoted Premier League side Burnley (£3m, £5.5m and £7m) but each one has been rejected by Derby County.
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The Clarets are not deterred by County's hardline stance but have not proposed a higher offer for over a fortnight. Rams boss Nigel Pearson has twice stated, in recent weeks, that the club want to keep the player who has been with them since he was 16.
That, by no means, means Hendrick will be a County player by the time the transfer window closes at the end of this month. According to
The Mirror, Sunderland are keen to get the 24-year-old in and are prepared to go one better than Burnley.
An opening bid of £8m from the Black Cats looks likely. The club identified Hendrick as a viable option for a starting centre midfield berth following his solid outings at Euro 2016. Head of recruitment Steve Houston (formerly of Leeds United) is said to be a fan and has put the case for Hendrick's capture to new boss David Moyes.
Moyes has apparently prioritised
right back and striker as two areas where he needs quality signings. He has also been linked to Manchester United's
Marouane Fellaini and Adnan Januzaj but only has a realistic chance of the latter.
With Burnley not going away and Middlesbrough also said to be interested, the final transfer fee for Hendrick, should he move, could easily rise to £10m.
Hendrick featured in Derby's Championship opener against Brighton and picked up a booking in the goalless draw. He is expected to feature against Grimsby this evening.
