Dan Neil is reportedly attracting interest from two Championship clubs as he approaches the final months of his current Sunderland contract.
Coventry City are ‘ready to fight’ Ipswich Town for the permanent signing of Sunderland midfielder Dan Neil and that could offer an opportunity for an emotional reunion at the Stadium of Light next season.
Journalist Alan Nixon has claimed the two Championship promotion contenders are keen to land the Academy of Light product on a free transfer when his Black Cats contract officially comes to a close at the end of the season - and that could mean Neil returning to Wearside with his new club next season. The midfielder has made nine appearances for loan club Ipswich Town since completing a temporary switch to Portman Road in the final days of the January transfer window and he has started to impress at Kieran McKenna’s side push for a return to the top flight at the first attempt.
However, Nixon has reported current Championship leaders and title favourites Coventry City are also keen on a deal for Neil and believe the 24-year-old can help them establish themselves back in the Premier League after an absence of 25 years. Frank Lampard’s side are sitting nine points clear of second placed Middlesbrough with just seven games remaining in the season and also have a sizeable advantage in goal difference over Kim Hellberg’s men.
That has allowed the Sky Blues to start planning for next season and they are said to be ‘ready to fight’ Ipswich in a bid to lure Neil to the CBS Arena this summer. They are described as ‘major fans’ of the midfielder and the attraction to a possible move for the former Sunderland man has only increased by the fact he will be out of contract when the season comes to an end.
Tributes
Sunderland beat Sheffield United in last season's Championship play-off final (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)placeholder image
Sunderland beat Sheffield United in last season's Championship play-off final (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
Neil has already spoken of his surprise and appreciation for the tributes he received from Sunderland team-mates and supporters when news of his departure broke in the final days of the January transfer window as his time with his boyhood club came to an emotional end.
He said: “I’m massively grateful for it, I wasn’t expecting all that,” he said. “It was quite touching, some of the tributes. One of the big ones for me was seeing my ex-teammates or teammates I still had when I was there saying nice things about me. Every footballer says the respect you have from your teammates is one of the biggest things that you can pride yourself on. All the tributes were touching, and I really appreciated it all.
“It was a tough decision to make, but one that I’ve made and I’ve come to peace with it. In a way, it was quite a nice way to end, finishing as a big part of getting the club back to where I believed it belonged and I was really happy to do that. This season was a little bit different but they’re still doing unbelievably well. It’s a new chapter for me and I’ve come to peace with it quite quickly.”
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