Sunderland will renew their interested in Plymouth Argyle striker Freddie Ladapo after rivals Portsmouth pulled out of the running for his services, as reported by the Northern Echo.

Both clubs had been widely reported to have submitted bids for the 18-goal striker, but Pompey pulled out of the running, citing wage demands as one concern.

That leaves Jack Ross free to pursue his transfer target and he's likely to make a fresh attempt to secure his services. Pompey's bid was believed to be £500,000, which gives Ross an indication of where he needs to be when he picks up the phone once more.

Ladapo, who made a Premier League appearances for Crystal Palace less than two years ago, has had an unconventional career in which he dropped out of the Football League after failing to make the grade with Colchester United.

He then struggled with Kidderminster Harriers, heading out on loan with Grays as well as Hayes and Yeading before being released and signing for Margate. 23 goals in 49 outings drew the attention of Crystal Palace and, after a successful trial, he made the Premier League switch.

He's since been with Southend and Plymouth, bagging an impressive haul last season as the Pilgrims were relegated.

The Verdict

Ladapo is a special type of player, a burly striker who can play on the shoulder of the last defender. He hasn't always been a success, he looked out of his depth with Southend and floundered badly with Kidderminster in the fifth tier of the English game.

Last season he showed what he can do, his goals were the one positive aspect of the Pilgrims' battle against relegation. They failed to stay up and now his strike-rate has alerted other clubs.

It might spell the end for Charlie Wyke though, as Ladapo would almost certainly play ahead of the former Bradford man.