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A pair of highly regarded young players are both set to move on this summer, with Sunderland being credited with an interest in both.
The first being one who's name was bandied about in December and January just gone in the form of El-Hadji Ba, a French youth international midfielder from Le Havre.
Ba seems to have the attributes to adapt to life in England, and would be a player most akin to fellow Frenchman Alfred N'Diaye. Standing at 6-foot and known for his deep-lying playmaking ability which has not only seen him catch our attentions, but that of Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur and Wigan Athletic too.
It's been suggested that Sunderland had scouts watching him in action for the French Under-21 side this week, and upon being told of the news Ba told reporters in attendance;
It is very good to hear clubs have been scouting me,I would love to play in England. If teams have a good enough offer, then they will let me go.
Whether or not we manage to sign him is something for another day, but given the length of time we've supposedly been looking at him, it would suggest that our interest is very real.
Another who has recently piped up about interest from Sunderland is Ghanaian striker Mahatama Otoo, with the player himself suggesting we have interest in him;
There is interest from other clubs. I have heard about Sunderland as well. I would love to play in England one day. My destiny will take me there and it is my dream to score at Old Trafford, the Emirates, Anfield and Wembley.
The 21-year old would be a much more difficult get for us though. With only one international cap which came in 2009 a work-permit looks near enough dead in the water before application.
There's the option however of applying for a special permit for a talented youth, although that would be subject to very close scrutiny too and likely fail. He has tremendous raw skills but does need a lot of fine tuning to make it at the top level.
A loan to SK Lierse could be an option too, but we're yet to see what that particular partnership is all about. It's the move that would make the most sense on the off chance we are actually monitoring him. I have my doubts that anything will come from the Otoo deal personally.