This article is part of Football League World's 'The Verdict' series, which provides personal opinions from the FLW writers regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Sunderland have been handed a transfer boost with the news that Jordan Jones would be keen on a permanent move to the Stadium Of Light, according to Football Insider.

The Rangers man is reportedly going to be available to move on this summer with a fee of £600,000 likely to be enough to convince Steven Gerrard's side to cash in.

Given his form for the Black Cats it would be no surprise to see Lee Johnson's side making a move for the player, but will Sunderland's ability to get a deal done depend on whether they can secure promotion to the Championship?

The team at FLW have their say...

Phil Spencer

There's no doubt that Sunderland will need to secure promotion if they're to sign Jordan Jones.

The Rangers winger has been a revelation since moving to the Stadium Of Light on loan in January and since then he's been almost unplayable for the Black Cats.

It seems that League One is just too easy for Jones and that means that there's no chance that he'll be playing in the third tier next term.

Sunderland are currently in the mix to secure promotion to the Championship and if they go up they'll certainly be frontrunners to sign him, but if they fall short I think it would be difficult to get a deal done.

 

 

Jordan Rushworth  

Jones wanting to return to the Stadium of Light next season is huge for the Black Cats and shows how far they have come since Lee Johnson took over. The forward has really benefited from his loan spell and it has helped to put him firmly in the shop window ahead of what is going to be a crucial summer for his career.

Sunderland will be wanting to secure his signature on a permanent basis, but there is strong interest from sides in the Championship and that could be tempting for the 26-year-old. The Black Cats might therefore need to get promotion to try and win the race for Jones in the summer, because it would be difficult to persuade him to opt for League One football if he has the chance to move to a higher level.

The forward would be very difficult to replace so Sunderland need to concentrate on getting over the line in the race for promotion and then they would be in a strong position to re-sign him. Bringing him back to the club would be a big statement of intent by the new owners and show the direction the club want to head in.

Whatever division Sunderland happen to be playing in next term, they would be a stronger proposition if they were able to sign Jones. Him wanting to stay might give them the edge and make it possible for him to return even if they do not go up.

Jacob Potter

They definitely need promotion to even stand a chance in signing him permanently.

Jones has impressed me since signing for Sunderland on loan earlier this season, and it's good to see him wanting to sign for the club on a permanent basis.
But there are likely to be other clubs interested in signing Jones permanently in the summer, with it looking as though his days with Rangers are numbered heading into the 2021/22 season.
Sunderland are well-placed to win promotion into the Championship this season though, and I think they'll land Jones' signature permanently in the summer if they do make a timely return to the second-tier.