Portuguese International Midfielder Linked

With the transfer window rapidly approaching and Gus Poyet stating that he wants any new arrivals to be in almost as soon as it opens, Sunderland are being linked with a steadily increasing list of players, the newest of which is Raul Meireles, who we were rumoured to be interested in during the summer.

According to a report by Fotomac, Portuguese international Meireles, who has been playing in Turkey with Fenerbahce since joining the club from Chelsea in 2012, stated in an interview on Fenerbahce's own television channel that he doesn't want to leave the club but he has received another transfer request from Sunderland, with Napoli also mentioned as a possibility for the midfielder who has 71 caps for Portugal.

The same article also has a quote, reportedly from Gus Poyet, in which he says;

It will be good for me if we have signed him [Meireles].

This report should be taken with a huge pinch of salt but with reinforcements clearly needed in midfield and the player not being a regular in the Fenerbahce side this season (mainly due to injury and suspension), a loan deal could be a good solution for all parties. Sunderland will get a quality player for 6 months and Meireles will get regular playing time before the upcoming World Cup, without tying himself to a struggling side.

Although even taking into account those factors, convincing such a highly paid player to join a team bottom of the Premier League will be extremely difficult and that's even if we are able to go close to matching his reported £48,000 per week.

Stay tuned to Roker Report, as we will bring you complete coverage of what is bound to be a vital transfer window for Gus Poyet and Sunderland.