Sunderland are reportedly now ‘ready for any offers’ to sign Dan Neil this summer.

The Lowdown: Speakman praise

Neil has recently earned the praise of Sporting Director Kristjaan Speakman, who has dubbed him an ‘incredible’ and ‘top young player’ (The Northern Echo).

The 20-year-old played 46 times in total over all competitions this season, scoring four goals and making eight assists (Transfermarkt), as he helped the Stadium of Light outfit gain promotion up to the Championship.

The Latest: Ready for offers

Taking to Twitter, North East journalist Matty Jones has shared that the Wearside club are now ‘ready for any offers’ that may come their way for Neil:

“Scouts have been to watch Sunderland this season but it’s not certain whether they were there to watch Dan Neil in action.

“Nevertheless, the Black Cats are ready for any offers that might come their way.”

The Verdict: Keep!

If the Black Cats are to stay in the Championship, and even look to a potential Premier League push, then they need to be keeping hold of their key players, and Neil certainly fits into that category.

He has ranked highly among his teammates in terms of average key passes and through balls in League One this term, while his 82% pass completion rate is the joint-highest out of any of his teammates to have made five or more appearances (WhoScored).

Nonetheless, Neil would not be an easy player to replace, and so Alex Neil’s side should be looking to keep hold of him this summer, regardless of any potential offers that may come in for the Englishman.

In other news, find out what behind-the-scenes SAFC ‘talks’ have now been going on here!