Reports: Fee Agreed For Confederations Cup Star

Emanuele Giaccherini starred for Italy in this summer's Confederations Cup - notching a goal against hosts and eventual winners, Brazil - and now it is being widely reported that Sunderland have agreed a £6.8m fee with the Serie A giants.

Tancredi Palmeri, Gazzetta dello Sport journalist and one with his ear very much close to the pulse in Italy, certainly seems to think a deal is near, having tweeted:

Sunderland signed Giaccherini from Juventus for 8m €, according to Sky Italy

With regards to Sky Italy, their journalist Fabrizio Romano has firmly stated that all there is left to do is for Sunderland and Giaccherini to iron out personal terms:

Now Sunderland just needs agreement with Giaccherini. Then, Emanuele will be new Black Cats player for 8 millions € #SAFC

Elsewhere, some reports are surfacing that Giaccherini is ready to put pen to paper on a four year deal worth £2m each year.

As for our own views on the situation, there is probably still a bit to do. For all the two journalists above have given us little reason to doubt their credibility, transfers - particularly ones involving players of the quality of Giaccherini - are always privy to bumps here and there.

Whether or not a fee has been agreed remains difficult to confirm, but what is certain is that Giaccherini is a player Sunderland are firmly interested in.

£6.8m (or €8m) may seem more than worthwhile for a player coming in on the back of two consecutive league titles, but it would still represent a departure from the Black Cats' recently adopted policy of buying young, relatively cheap players with a point to prove and a high re-sale value.

When reports first surfaced a week ago, they seemed fanciful. However, it is now apparent that the club has a strong interest in the 28-year-old, and are working very hard to make the deal come off. The transfer is certainly not done yet, but appears to be edging ever closer, and it would represent a massive coup for Sunderland should it come to fruition.