The future of Wolves defender Dion Sanderson seems as though it could drag on over the summer, with a number of teams reportedly interested in signing him on a permanent basis.
League One side Sunderland currently have the defender on loan for the 2020/21 season, and the Wolves loanee has caught the eye with a number of impressive performances.
Sanderson has made 25 appearances in total for the Black Cats, who are well-placed to win promotion back into the Premier League under the management of Lee Johnson.
They're currently sat third in the League One table, and will be looking to bounce back from a frustrating recent defeat to play-off chasing Charlton Athletic.
Newcastle United are believed to be rivalling Sunderland to the potential permanent signing of Sanderson heading into the summer transfer window.
We take a look at THREE reasons why Sanderson should opt for a move to Sunderland over a move to Newcastle United at St James' Park.
Sunderland are likely to be able to offer regular minutes
Sunderland have already shown that Sanderson will feature regularly for them, with the defender making 25 appearances in all competitions.
The Wolves loanee has previously experience of playing in the Championship as well, having previously been on the books with Cardiff City earlier in his career.
Therefore, it Sunderland were to win promotion this season, it seems likely that Sanderson will feature on a regular basis for them in the second-tier.
Newcastle United look as though they're set for another season in the Premier League, and there would be no guarantee that Sanderson would be a regular in their starting XI. This is one of the main reasons as to why he should head to Sunderland on a permanent basis in the summer instead.
Sunderland are a club heading in the right direction
Sunderland are well-placed to win promotion into the Championship this season, and have shown much-needed improvement this season under the management of Lee Johnson.
The had previously been languishing in the third-tier of English football, but finally looks as though they're set to return to the Championship, providing that they can put together a positive run of results together from now until the end of the 2020/21 season.
Newcastle United have struggled in recent seasons in the Premier League, and aren't a team that look as though they're going to challenge for a top-half finish anytime soon. Sunderland are a team heading in the right direction at this moment in time, and Sanderson could take them to the next level if he signed permanently at the Stadium of Light.
Lee Johnson knows how to get the best out of Sanderson
Lee Johnson certainly seems to be getting the best out of Dion Sanderson, even if that is when he's playing him out of his 'natural' position.
Sanderson primarily operates as a right-back, but has often been deployed as a centre-back in recent months to help Sunderland, with the Black Cats having their first-choice central defenders out of action through injury.
Sanderson hasn't looked out of place at all in that position though, and Sanderson is repaying Johnson's faith in him this season. The defender is likely to go from strength to strength with regular game time under Johnson's management.