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Reports emerged from Argentina today that suggested Sunderland have rejected an offer from Newell's Old Boys for Nacho Scocco. The offer was rumoured to be in the region of £1.5m and for 50% of the player's contract, which would see the Argentine club and Sunderland co-own the player, an offer that was understandably not appealing to the Sunderland board.
Should Sunderland decide to let Scocco leave the Stadium of Light, it will only be for a fee similar to the £3.2m they paid Internacional for the striker in January, with Financial Fair Play believed to be the reason behind Sunderland's reluctance to sell the player at a loss.
Despite the bid being rejected, it has been reported that the 29-year-old has already agreed a five-year contract with Newell's while he waits for his future to be resolved.
Meanwhile, Nigerian winger Michael Babatunde had claimed Sunderland had made an offer for him but has how backtracked somewhat and claimed that he is just happy to be linked to the club;
I'm happy being linked with these clubs (Schalke 04 and Sunderland) because they are big teams but there must be a concrete offer before talks can begin.
The 21-year-old did admit to being a fan of the Premier League and hoped he would qualify for a work permit;
I love the EPL and I hope I'm qualified to move there.
He may struggle to initially qualify for a work permit if Sunderland followed up their supposed interest in the winger, as despite Nigeria being ranked 44th in the world, the player has only has 9 caps and is not yet a regular. He may have a chance on appeal as it could be argued he's a special talent after his World Cup appearances at the age of 21 but whether we are interested enough to actually try and sign the player is debatable.
The chairman of his current club Volyn Lutsk, Vasyl Stolyar, says he will discuss the player's future when he returns from his post-World Cup holiday but hopes to keep Babatunde at the club;
I know 'Baba' very well, we will sit and discuss what he wants when he comes back from holiday. He has showed the world what we see weekly here in Ukraine at the World Cup so we know he is in the market.
Babatunde staying with us is a priority.
Stay tuned to Roker Report throughout the summer as we keep you up to date with all the transfer news and rumours. Also, feel free to keep in touch with our dedicated Transfer Centre, which you can do by CLICKING HERE.
