Sunderland have reached an agreement to sign Morecambe youngster Connor Pye, according to Football Insider

The lowdown: Rising star

Previously a member of the Wigan academy system, Pye joined Morecambe in 2020 and has since become a regular feature in the first team squad.

The 17-year-old midfielder made a first-team debut during a pre-season friendly last year and signed a first professional contract after winning the Player of the Year award for the U17s.

Previously linked to Premier League giants Everton, now it appears as though Pye could be about to take the next step in a promising career...

The latest: 'Agreed a deal'

As per Football Insider, Sunderland are believed to have 'agreed a deal' to sign the Liverpool-born teenager this summer.

It's claimed that the Championship outfit have 'secured a breakthrough in talks' to secure the signature of Pye after being 'impressed' by the starlet.

The report also states that Sunderland have beaten a 'number of Premier League and Championship sides' to sign the teen who was hailed for his 'great character' by ex-Shrimps manager Stephen Robinson following a professional debut in last season’s EFL Trophy against Hartlepool United.

The verdict: One for the future

Likened to Liverpool and Scotland star Andy Robertson, Pye clearly has a tendency to influence games in an attacking sense and will likely act as an understudy to Dennis Cirkin in the pecking order at the Stadium of Light, to begin with.

This deal also shows a continued tendency to stock the current crop with talented youngsters, as highlighted by the lowly average age of the XI's fielded by Lee Johnson and Alex Neil for the most part of the 2021/22 campaign.

Set to miss out to Wigan for the loan capture of Nathan Broadhead, the Black Cats and Neil will be on the lookout for further reinforcements beyond Pye and potentially Jack Diamond having made a bright start on their return to the second tier.