According to a report in Argentina, Sunderland have made 'an offer' for Banfield striker Facundo Ferreyra. It is claimed that Martin O'Neill is battling Independiente for the 21-year-old.
'So who is he?', I hear you cry. Well he is a 6 foot plus forward capped by Argentina at under-23 level who was the joint top scorer in the 2011 South American Youth Championships. That's about all we have.
More importantly, how reliable is the source? The story has come from Olé, which is a daily sports newspaper in Argentina. It is the biggest sports publication in the country.
With that said, it is still not a link we are taking too seriously. The report mentions that Independiente are hoping to avoid a 'tug of war' over the player, so a link with a club known to be searching for a forward who also play in the richest league in the world appear to be a very convenient one for the selling club to allow to slip out, no matter how tenuous or real it might be.
Also, whilst you could imagine Steve Bruce in this kind of market, it doesn't exactly scream 'Martin O'Neill' at us.
An interesting link, and one to perhaps keep an eye on, but one we are taking with a pinch of salt at this stage.