TRANSFER UPDATE: Sunderland set to announce 1st summer signing soon, with many new names linked

Celtic youngster set to join?

Jack Ross is expected to add to his squad this week, with Roker Report understanding that they will confirm their first signing of the summer in the next 24 hours - and there are no shortage of rumours of who may be joining the new era at the Stadium of Light.

Teamtalk claim that Ross is hoping to tie up a loan deal for Celtic youngster Calvin Miller. According to the report, Celtic are hoping to tie Miller down to a new long-term contract before sending the 20-year-old out on loan, with Ross said to be leading the race for his signature.

Brendan Rodgers converted Miller from a striker to an attacking left-back, where he has acted as an understudy to Scottish international Kieran Tierney but has so far only managed a handful of appearances for the Celtic first team.

Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images

---

Attacking target set to leave

Sunderland have been regularly linked with a move for Scunthorpe winger Hakeeb Adelakun in recent months. The 22-year-old is out of contract at Glanford Park, and Scunthorpe manager Nicky Daws has confirmed that the player will be leaving the club in the near future after he rejected the offer of a new contract:

There has been a contract offer for Hakeeb for a considerable length of time but he has chosen to reject that. I fully expect Hakeeb will be with another club come the start of pre-season.

I would have expected Hakeeb to announce where he was going but that hasn’t happened. It will be interesting to see where he ends up.

Despite only being 22, Adelakun has already made 169 appearances for the Iron and has been attracting attention from a number of clubs, with Blackburn Rovers, Bristol City, Hull City, Nottingham Forest also being linked with a move for the player.

According to Sky Sports, Bristol City recently offered Scunthorpe a compensation fee for Adelakun, a bid which was swiftly rejected.

Photo by Pete Norton/Getty Images

---

Former St Mirren duo wanted?

Jack Ross has been linked with moves that would see him reunited with two players that he managed at St Mirren, Gavin Reilly and Stephen Mallan.

Reilly is now a free agent after new St Mirren manager Alan Stubbs rescinded the contract offer that was on the table for the 25-year-old striker. Speaking after Stubbs’ decision to rip up the contract on offer, Reilly expressed his disappointment:

I did have a contract on the table at St Mirren when Jack was there but I had a hectic summer, trying to sort things out with the baby, and that was my priority.

When I got round to thinking about things, Jack left for Sunderland so it was up the air as we had to wait and see who the new manager would be.

The new manager has come in and my agent has had contact with him and it’s his decision he is taking the deal off the table. It’s not my decision to leave. I was still considering the deal but the new manager has decided he doesn’t want to keep me.

It is a bit disappointing. I had a fantastic season and if we had agreed terms I’d have been more than happy to sign because I was happy there and it would have been exciting to play in the Premiership.

But I’ve no regrets and no bad words to say about the club because I really enjoyed my season there.

Reilly scored 22 goals in 44 games in all competitions for Ross’ St Mirren last season and may now be an attractive cheap option as he looks to rebuild Sunderland. The player also worked with Ross at Hearts and Sunderland assistant manager James Fowler during a spell at Queen of the South.

Mallan joined Barnsley last year, after playing a big part in saving Ross’ St Mirren from relegation when his six goals in the final 10 games of the season laid the foundation for the run to the Championship title the following season.

His move to Oakwell never worked out though, with the 22-year-old midfielder only featuring nine times as Barnsley joined us in being relegated to League One.

Now it’s expected that he will leave Barnsley, with both Sunderland and Hibernian reportedly keen on signing the set piece specialist.

---

Wolves youngster linked

Young Wolverhampton Wanderers defender Cameron John has also been linked with a move to Sunderland.

According to former Sky Sports reporter Pete O’Rourke, Sunderland are one of a number of clubs interested in John due to the player entering the final year of his contract at Molineux.

The 18-year-old is yet to make his debut for Wolves and the report claims that Sunderland, Brighton and Hove Albion and Norwich City are all prepared to give the player a quicker route to first team football.

---

Academy product in demand

After Mikael Mandron was released by Sunderland, he was quickly snapped up by Stewart Donald at Eastleigh. His performances there earned a move to Wigan Athletic, but although that move didn’t work out for the 23-year-old, his subsequent performances at current club Colchester United has earned him many admirers.

Although the U’s are hoping to keep him for the forthcoming season, Championship duo Sheffield United and Millwall, League One Portsmouth and Eredivisie side FC Utrecht are all thought to be keen on signing the striker.

Mandron recently missed out on a move to Peterborough after he failed to agree personal terms with the London Road side.

Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images