Sheffield United are keeping tab on Dion Sanderson, with the defender currently excelling out on loan with Sunderland.

The 21-year-old, who is contracted to Wolves, joined the Black Cats back in October, and he struggled to initially establish himself as a regular in the team.

However, Lee Johnson has given Sanderson a consistent run at centre-back in the past month, and the youngster has repaid that faith with a string of impressive performances.

So much so, it has been reported that Sunderland are already looking to bring the player in on a permanent basis when the window opens.

But, it's not going to be easy for the Black Cats to do a deal, after Football Insider revealed that Sheffield United are monitoring Sanderson.

They claim that scouts from the Blades were watching Sunderland's 2-2 draw with Crew Alexandra at the weekend, when the on-loan Wanderers man was the best of a bad bunch at the back for the visitors.

It's unclear whether Wolves would be open to selling Sanderson permanently in the summer, with his contract at Molineux expiring in the summer of 2022.

The verdict

Sanderson's performance in the past month have caught the eye, so it's no surprise that Sheffield United are taking note, and you can imagine more clubs will be keen too.

Whether it's a loan or a permanent switch, it seems inevitable Sanderson will be playing in the Championship next season if he doesn't get a chance with his parent club, so Sunderland have to win promotion to have any chance of keeping him.

For now though, the only aim for the player is to get the Black Cats up, and it appears he will have a big decision to make in the summer.

Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.