Offer imminent: Speakman eyeing up big SAFC deal that'll leave supporters buzzing - opinion

A major update has emerged on Sunderland striker Ross Stewart and his future at the Stadium of Light…

According to the Daily Record, the Black Cats are preparing to pin him down to an extended contract with the club to avoid losing him in the summer.

The report claims that they are aware of growing interest in his services after his call-up to the Scotland national team and Kristjaan Speakman is now eyeing up an imminent offer in an attempt to keep him on Wearside.

This update will surely leave the Stadium of Light faithful buzzing as they will be keen to see Stewart commit his future to the club.

He has been phenomenal in League One and allowing him to leave in the summer would be a major blow to the squad. His average SofaScore rating of 7.29 is unrivalled within the Sunderland squad and this suggests that he has been the club’s most consistent performer throughout the campaign as he has maintained a high standard all throughout 2021/22.

The Scot’s goalscoring numbers reflect his performances as he has found the back of the net a whopping 22 times in 39 outings for the Black Cats. He has been able to consistently bang in the goals in the third tier, whilst he has also shown off his link-up play with six ‘big chances’ created and 1.4 key passes per game.

This shows that he has been a major force at the top end of the pitch for Lee Johnson and Alex Neil this season. He can score and create goals as the number nine and his contributions have been key to the club’s promotion challenge as they sit in the top-six as it stands.

Therefore, his exit would leave Neil with a huge gap to fill in his starting XI. This would be particularly painful should the club achieve promotion to the Championship as it would, naturally, be