Sunderland to beat Sheffield Wednesday in race to sign ex-Leeds United player | OneFootball

Sunderland look set to sign Ian Poveda as the player has now undergone his medical at the club.

Sunderland are closing in on the signing of Ian Poveda, as the 24-year-old has now undergone his medical for the Wearside club.

That is according to Sly Sports reporter Keith Downie, who states that Poveda has undergone his medical at the club’s training ground, and he will be announced as a new signing in the coming hours.

Sunderland have had a quiet start to the summer transfer window, bringing in just two players so far, Alan Browne and Simon Moore.

The Black Cats’ search for a new manager took much longer than expected, and it seems to have put their transfer plans on hold.

However, Sunderland are looking to ramp up their activity, and it appears as though Poveda could be the club’s next addition.

Sunderland close in on the signing of Ian Poveda

It was revealed by The Northern Echo on Tuesday that Sunderland had joined the race to sign Poveda and were hoping to see off the interested sides.

The 24-year-old left Leeds United earlier in this transfer window after his contract expired at Elland Road, and he has been heavily linked with a move to Sheffield Wednesday.

However, it was stated that Poveda was considered a leading target for the Black Cats, and now the Championship side looks to be closing in on their target.

According to Keith Downie, Poveda has undergone his medical with Sunderland at the club’s training ground, and he will be announced as a new signing in the coming hours.

If this deal is completed, it will be Sunderland’s third signing of the summer, and all three have been free agents.

Ian Poveda’s career so far

Poveda spent the second half of last season on loan at Sheffield Wednesday, with the 24-year-old playing 10 times for the Owls in the Championship as he helped the club beat the drop.

This was the player's third loan spell away from Elland Road, with him also having spells at Blackburn Rovers and Blackpool.

Poveda started his career at Chelsea before playing for Arsenal, Barcelona, and Brentford’s academy teams.

The attacker then joined Manchester City in 2016 and spent four years with the Premier League side before joining Leeds United.

The 24-year-old struggled for regular minutes at Leeds, as he played just 30 times for the club in all competitions.

Poveda is an exciting addition for Sunderland

Poveda may not have scored loads of goals or grabbed plenty of assists while at Sheffield Wednesday, but the 24-year-old did really impress while with the Owls.

So, for Sunderland to beat Wednesday to the signing of Poveda will be a big blow to them, but it also shows that while his stats don’t suggest it, he did do very well in the second half of last season.

The winger has struggled to play regular football in recent seasons, so joining the Black Cats could be a good step in the player’s career, as he can settle down, not have any more loans, and look to get into the starting XI at the Stadium of Light.