Exclusive: Sunderland in talks to sign Manchester City defender on a two-year loan deal

Sunderland are in talks to sign Manchester City youngster Callum Doyle on a two-year loan deal, Roker Report understands.

The left footed central defender, who turns 18 in October, was a regular for both City’s under-23 and under-18 side’s last season as they won both Premier League 2 and u18 Premier League.

Doyle also started against League One Lincoln City in the EFL Trophy and played half-an-hour against Sunderland’s eventual final opponents Tranmere Rovers in the second round.

The England youth international followed the club’s official Instagram yesterday, as well as several of our development squad and, after some digging, we can confirm from the City end that Doyle is expected to link up with Sunderland on an unusual two-year loan deal, along similar lines as fellow City youngster Filip Stevanovic’s recent move to Heerenveen.

A ball-playing centre-half, Doyle was singled out for praise by the Manchester Evening News back in April as City lost 1-0 to Everton in the FA Youth Cup:

It was actually centre-back Callum Doyle who impressed the most. While was he able to keep Everton’s towering forwards Tom Cannon and Tyler Onyango largely quiet, it was his play on the ball that really caught the eye.

Nearly every City move started with the defender either carrying the ball into midfield or clipping inch-perfect cross-field balls to the winger on the opposite flank. It cut an impressive impersonation of Ruben Dias and showed that it isn’t just attacking starlets that the academy is producing.