Stockport County keen on landing Sunderland AFC transfer agreement | OneFootball

Sunderland attacker Caden Kelly is a loan target for Stockport County ahead of the transfer deadline.

Sunderland forward Caden Kelly is a transfer target of Stockport County's ahead of the transfer deadline on Monday.

The 21-year-old is a product of Sunderland’s academy system and has featured for their senior team two times. Kelly can operate as a winger or attacking midfielder and the League One promotion hopefuls are set to sign him on loan following his return from Darlington, according to reports from Alan Nixon.

Sunderland had announced earlier this month that Caden Kelly has extended his loan deal with Darlington FC until the end of January. However, it ended over the last few days and he has been back at the Stadium of Light.

Regis Le Bris will have his sights firmly set on his first-team squad and the players at his disposal for the next few months, but Sunderland players already out on loan or needing a temporary switch also remain important.

Caden Kelly set for loan to Stockport County from Sunderland

The 21-year-old initially joined the National League North side in October and made 16 appearances, scoring three times and notching an assist for the sixth tier side so far this campaign [Transfermarkt].

Kelly made his first-team debut for Sunderland during the 2022/23 season under Alex Neil in the Carabao Cup but has predominately played for the club’s U-21 team in his young career so far. The attacker made the bench six times last season but wasn’t ever involved in action.

Kelly was also on the bench for this season’s game against Middlesbrough at the Stadium of Light, with the reverse fixture set to be played tomorrow. Now, he is set for a switch to League One and the third tier with Stockport, according to The Sun's Alan Nixon.

Kelly was born in nearby Manchester and started his career with Manchester City, spending ten years before a stint in the academy of Salford City. After a brief period with the Football Flick Academy, he signed for Sunderland.

Dave Challinor’s side look set to add the youngster to their squad in a switch that will reunite him with Jack Diamond.

Regularly providing a goalscoring threat for the youthful Black Cats, the time could well be right for Kelly to be bumped up to the senior mix if he impresses Le Bris and co. with a loan in League One.

Kelly has been handed two first-team appearances off the back of these exploits, with more potentially coming his way if Le Bris takes a shining to him between now and the end of the campaign at Stockport, with 21 a crucial age now for Kelly and his development.

Sunderland U-21 assists were his forte. Kelly predominantly operated as a right-winger and set up goals for his Black Cats teammates 10 times in 14 Premier League 2 games in the 23/24 season. In total, he has 13 goals and 16 assists for the U-21 team since arriving at the academy of light.

By the ludicrous standards in the current Sunderland squad, 21-year-old Kelly is getting old and may well have missed his chance to breakthrough at the club if he fails to impress at Stockport. That is highlighted with the likes of Jobe Bellingham (19) and Chris Rigg (17) already regulars in the first-team under Le Bris.