Roker Roundup: Exciting young winger linked with Sunderland is hoping to sign new contract

Linked winger hoping to sign new deal

Motherwell winger Jake Hastie is a hot prospect at the moment, the 19-year-old has scored five goals in his last six games and is in demand - with Sunderland one of the clubs linked - thanks in part to being out of contract at the end of the season.

Despite his contract being up so soon, Hastie is hoping to remain at Fir Park as he does not believe leaving for England at such a young age is the right idea, so hopes to able to sign a new deal within a fortnight:

My agent is still in talks, so hopefully [I’ll sign] in the next couple of weeks.

I definitely want to stay here. I’m playing football and that’s the main thing.

I’m still only 19 and I’ve still got a lot to learn about the game, and this is the best place to do it.

It can be a bit frustrating but I’m just letting my agent deal with it. I know that some players have gone down south young and it hasn’t worked out, so being here just now is the best place for me.

I just want to keep doing what I have been and keep playing well.

Former midfielder hoping for international call

French midfielder El-Hadji Ba did not have the best time at Sunderland, featuring only once for the first team - in an FA Cup third round time at home to Carlisle United, a game in which he scored - and left after just two years to sign for Charlton Atheltic.

Now 25, Ba is now with Ligue 2 club Lens and has been excelling in their midfield as they push for promotion to the top flight.

Despite being born in Paris, Ba has Senegalese routes and is hoping to force his way into Aliou Cisse’s thoughts ahead of the African Cup of Nations which starts in June:

Not long ago, I met Aliou Cisse. We discussed it , he told me it was positive.

It’s up to me to perform well, because that’s how we are called into the national team. I would be proud to join the ‘Teranga Lions’.

CAN 2019? It is goal. Even if I am French-Senegalese, if I grew up in France, and that I will always thank my trainers, but it is true that I think today of the Senegalese selection.

Photo by Richard Sellers/Getty Images

Former loanee heads to China

Everton defender Ty Browning has joined Chinese Super League side Guangzhou Evergrande on a permanent deal for an undisclosed fee.

The central defender had a spell on loan at Sunderland last season, alongside Everton team-mate Brendan Galloway but struggled despite making 27 appearance for the team.

Browning has a Chinese grandfather, which made his signing appealing for the Chinese club as he would not need to be registered as a foreign player - the CSL has a limit of four foreign players per side.