Sunderland are hoping to complete the signing of Everton’s Aiden McGeady before the end of this week, reports the Chronicle Live.

Reports last week confirmed that Sunderland and Everton were at an advanced stage of negotiating a deal for the Irishman, but Sky Sports confirmed late in the week that discussions had reached a stand-off.

Despite that snag, Sunderland remain confident of adding McGeady to their squad ahead of their Sky Bet Championship return, and are hopeful a deal will take place in the coming days.

Simon Grayson - Sunderland’s new manager - has already brought two Everton players to the Stadium of Light this summer, with Brendan Galloway and Tyias Browning both arriving in the North East on a season-long loan.

Grayson is keen to link back up with McGeady after the pair enjoyed a successful spell together last season at Preston North End, where the 31-year old forward was on-loan.

The duo helped to guide Preston to a top-half finish in the Championship table, with McGeady particularly influential for the Lilywhites, scoring eight goals and grabbing nine assists from his 34 appearances.

Grayson will be hopeful that McGeady can fill part of the goalscoring void left by Jermain Defoe, who opted to join AFC Bournemouth earlier this summer.

Sunderland fans… Do you expect your club to complete the signing of McGeady? How important will he be next season? Let us know your thoughts!