Sunderland make £5m offer for in-demand striker Tom Cannon

With the clock ticking down towards the transfer deadline, Sunderland are hoping to steal a march on Championship rivals to land in-demand Leicester striker.

Sunderland in for Leicester striker Tom Cannon / IMAGO / PA Images

Sunderland have made a £5million bid for in-demand Leicester City striker Tom Cannon as they attempt to bolster their striker ranks this week.

Cannon had an exceptional loan spell at Preston in the 22/23 season before making what looked like an odd move to the Foxes last summer.

As predicted, he failed to get much opportunity, playing just 600 minutes across the entire season.

He has been made available this summer, and a clutch of Championship clubs want him, including Norwich, Stoke City and Sheffield United. However, as per John Percy of the Telegraph, it is Sunderland who have made the first move.

“Sunderland have made a bid of around £5m for Leicester forward Tom Cannon. Norwich, Stoke & Sheffield United also expected to make offers ahead of Friday’s deadline,” he said on X, formerly Twitter.

#lcfc transfer news - Sunderland have made a bid of around £5m for Leicester forward Tom Cannon. Norwich, Stoke & Sheffield United also expected to make offers ahead of Friday’s deadline #safc

— John Percy (@JPercyTelegraph) August 26, 2024

Sunderland will be in a strong position should Leicester be determined to pursue a sale rather than a loan. The Black Cats have the Jack Clarke money available to spend, and sitting top of the Championship after three games doesn’t hurt either when it comes to persuading players to join.

A stumbling block may be wages, although the lure of finally being able to put down some football roots will likely be a big draw for Cannon too.

Leicester boss Steve Cooper has been open to selling Cannon, and last week he admitted that the Irish international’s future is up in the air.

“I can better answer that when we know what the squad will end up looking like,” he said when asked about Cannon’s role this season. “For sure Tom’s a good young player who has a future in front of him. It’s our jobs as managers to put the best team out to win games, but it’s also to make sure we put the right programmes on for the younger players.

“We will do that with Tom. What that looks like at the moment I don’t know, but he’s very much part of today’s work. Until things change, that’s how it will be. But I’m probably better to answer that one closer to the end of the window.”