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Sunderland appear to be close to sealing the signature of Charis Mavrias, with reports in Greece suggesting Panathinaikos have accepted the Black Cats' offer for the player, believed to have been upped to €3m with a possible further €1m of add-ons.
It has emerged that Sunderland actually contacted the Greek club two weeks ago, and so the deal is actually at a deceptively advanced stage considering how fresh a story it is.
In fact, it is understood that Mavrias was due to travel to England on Thursday with a view to tie-up the switch.
The player himself - a pacey, direct, penetrative winger - is also said to be keen on a move to Wearside and excited about playing in the Premier League next season.
The capture of Mavrias would certainly represent a coup for Sunderland. The youngster has previously been linked with Inter and Juventus, amongst others, and was playing Champions League football at the age of just 16.