Everton set Tom Cannon demand as Sheffield Wednesday, Sunderland and Preston circle | OneFootball

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Irrespective of where they find themselves in the table, recruiting players on a temporary basis from the Premier League remains one of the most popular transfer strategies for Championship clubs

Chiefly, this is because loan deals commonly tend to be cost-effective at this level with a fairly minimal financial emphasis- although that is not always the case, either.

That has now been found out by sides up and down the division, who have been informed by Everton that they will need to stump up a sizable £1m loan fee to secure the services of young striker Tom Cannon, as per Alan Nixon's Patreon report.

The report states that Everton are open to sending Cannon away from Merseyside for another season, but any possible deal will not come cheap despite its temporary basis.

Everton have had to tighten the purse-strings as of late after overspending for a few years, so from their perspective, it does make sense to drive a big financial bounty for Cannon's signature.

As a result, the resolve of up to six second-tier clubs will be tested, with Birmingham, Blackburn, Preston, Sheffield Wednesday, Stoke and Sunderland all believed to be in the race.

Nixon states that Blackburn and Birmingham are both unwilling to pay the outlay to Everton, which does not come as too much of a surprise given that they are both teams who do not tend to spend a great deal in the transfer market.

Stoke, meanwhile, are said to be close to paying up, and Sunderland could even come in with an offer to bring Cannon to the Stadium of Light on a permanent basis instead should they gather the resources to do so, and you feel as though much of that will hinge upon the Ross Stewart saga.

The striker has been at the centre of a contractual showdown at Sunderland with his deal set to expire in twelve months time, and it has since been revealed by Sunderland Nation that he has rejected fresh terms.

As such, suitors have circled in the form of Championship rivals Southampton and Stoke, and if Stewart does indeed move on this summer then it would feel logical for Sunderland to ramp up their Cannon interest, providing he has not yet headed out on loan again.

Preston, however, had the 20-year-old on loan campaign and, according to Nixon, they are prepared to go close to Everton's valuation with the consideration of achievements and league position.

How did Everton's Tom Cannon perform on loan at Preston North End?

Cannon was a sensation for Ryan Lowe's side during the second half of the previous campaign, and as such, it is no surprise to see the vast courtship that has emerged for him.

Previously unversed within senior football, Cannon failed to score in any of his first six matches for the Lancashire side before finding his feet and finishing the term with eight strikes from 20 matches.

His dynamic nature and ability to drive forward at defences in possession proved a thorn in the side for numerous second-tier opponents too, and he is exactly the type of player who could really break out as one of the division's finest marksmen next season.