ROKER ROUNDUP: Is today the day that Wahbi Khazri’s Sunderland future is finally resolved?

Khazri departure close

Wahbi Khazri’s future should be resolved imminently - and with Tunisia’s participation in the World Cup ending at the group stage, interested clubs have focused their efforts in edging ahead of the competition in order to sign the sought-after playmaker.

According to Ouest France, Rennes are hoping to entice the Tunisian skipper to return to Roazhon Park by offering the 27-year-old a four-year deal worth around £44,000 per week and hope to tie up a deal by the end of today.

Khazri had a successful season on loan at Rennes last season and their chairman Olivier Létang is hoping that their offer will be enough to beat off competition from the likes of Saint-Etienne and Besiktas.

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Grabban set to sign for Forest

After scoring 20 goals last season in the Championship - 12 for Sunderland and then eight for Aston Villa - Lewis Grabban was in demand for the forthcoming season, and it looks like Nottingham Forest have won the race for the striker after Bournemouth accepted their £6m bid.

Birmingham City, Leeds United and Middlesbrough had all been linked with the 30-year-old but he’s due to have a medical at the City Ground later today.

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Pickford praised

Sunderland academy product Jordan Pickford has been the talk of the football world this week after his heroics in England’s World Cup win over Colombia.

Interestingly, after we revealed that his club have a genuine interest in his services, Bayern Munich manager Niko Kovac has joined the list of people to praise the 24-year-old.

Speaking to Frankfurter Allgemeine, Kovac says any team who wants to win the World Cup must have a top class goalkeeper, something he believes England now has:

Without an outstanding keeper you can not become world champion, England has one with Jordan Pickford, who not a lot of people knew of before the tournament.

Should Bayern actually move for Pickford, that will be a huge source of frustration for the new Sunderland regime, with no sell-on clause put in place when the old regime sold the ‘keeper to Everton.

Former Sunderland midfielder Jordi Gomez has also been singing Pickford’s praises. Spanish publication Marca did a profile on the 24-year-old and speaking in the article, Gomez praised Pickford’s maturity and distribution:

I would highlight his personality and confidence he has despite his youth. He has very long and precise passes. Can reach almost to the opposition area.

Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images