It's been widely expected that Ji Dong-Won will leave Sunderland almost immediately in the January transfer window, but it would appear that while this is still likely to happen, Martin O'Neill is leaning more towards loaning the striker out than letting him leave permanently.
Speaking with the press recently, O'Neill told reporters;
He played in the Olympics, didn't always start the games but he perhaps thought after that goal it would be lift-off time.
He has found it difficult to cope with the physical aspect but he has natural talent and it is really up to him.
There have been a number of inquiries about our players and all I can say is that it has been a frustrating time for him.
If there was a possibility of a loan spell, I would give it some consideration.
The fact Ji has struggled with the physical aspect of English football comes as no surprise to anyone that's watched him. He certainly has size and he certainly has skill, but all too often he's swatted off the ball like he's not even there.
I'd welcome a loan move for Ji much more than I would a permanent sale as I think we're still yet to see what he can become. It's something that we said preseason in that he needs roughing up a bit. I've not watched a great deal of German or Korean football but with Augsburg and Chunnam Dragons both the leading contenders for his signature, I'd actually rather see him loaned down the English leagues to get a bit beat up.