Sunderland could make a fresh attempt to offload Aiden McGeady in January, according to Kevin Phillips.

The 34-year-old has endured a torrid 12 months after falling out of favour at the Stadium Of Light.

That led to a loan spell with Charlton Athletic last term, before a six-month period in the wilderness with the Black Cats.

It seemed that the writing was on the wall for McGeady until a dramatic recall to the first team in recent weeks has seen him remind supporters of just how good a player he can be.

An assist in Saturday's clash with Lincoln City helped them to a crucial 4-0 win, but according to club favourite Phillips, his recent revival may be short-lived as far as his Sunderland career is concerned.

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Speaking to Football Insider, Phillips said: “It is tough for McGeady.

“I imagine a conversation has been had with McGeady. I think he has asked whether he still wants to play for the football club and he must have liked what he heard.

“Right now it is a case of, ‘Give me what you can and I will bring you off.’ It backfired last week because they did not get the result that they wanted but this week…

“McGeady is a tough one. You could cash in on him in January and bring in a younger player.

“I heard last week that the club is starting from scratch again. That could mean getting rid of a Grigg and a McGeady or bringing youth players in.”

The Verdict

It does seem inevitable that Aiden McGeady will move on sooner rather than later.

The 34-year-old is arguably the highest paid player in League One and given the salary cap restrictions it seems that keeping him at the club is unsustainable.

Reintegrating him into the first team is probably the best thing to do so that Lee Johnson can get the best from him in the coming months, but of course if an offer is made it seems unlikely that the club will stand in his way.