Wolves are confident of completing the signing of young Sunderland goalkeeper Adam Richardson next year, a report from a print edition of The Sun (15/10, p65) has claimed.

The 17-year-old has yet to make a senior appearance for the Black Cats, although he was named on the bench for their recent EFL Trophy clash with Fleetwood, having previously impressed for the club at Under 18s level.

It was only announced in February that the teenager has put pen to paper on a long-term professional contract with Sunderland, but it still seems as though he could be on the move sooner rather than later.

According to the latest reports, Wolves are now confident that they can secure a deal for Richardson next year, with the January transfer window now fast approaching.

Manchester United - who recently snapped up fellow young stars Jordan Hugill and Logan Pye from Sunderland - are also said to be interested in Richardson, although it is Wolves who appear to be favourites for the teenagers signature at this stage.

Did these 17 players ever score a league goal for Sunderland?

The Verdict

This probably isn't far off being the last thing that Sunderland need right now.

With three straight defeats over the course of the past week, the mood around the club is not exactly going to be positive at the minute.

Losing another talented youngster such as Richardson is not getting to help that at all, particularly given the Black Cats have already lost a number of promising academy players recently.

However, given the opportunities Richardson could get at a club in a position such as Wolves' right now, you can't really blame him if he is tempted by the prospect of a move to Molineux.